Solving the Puzzle
by Siriusgirl1
Summary: She was just angry with her teammate when she entered the forest that night, not expecting to witness the beating take place or to awaken her curiosity. Will he eventually answer her questions? Or will she be unable to solve the puzzle...of his life?
1. Chapter 1

**A/N**

Right…now, firstly, I'd just like to say that I am a completely sane person (or at least, that _I_ think I'm a completely sane person). I know that there are a lot – and I mean _a LOT_ – of Tofu fans out there…along with Tofu fics. I have nothing against that pairing just as I have _nothing_ against Raiha-Fuuko (Raiha's cool!)

I've been struck by the idea for a Fuuko-Kurei fic, ever since I noticed that there was very little on that pairing. Yes, their personalities _are_ completely different, but if that's the case, how did Recca and Yanagi end up together? Recca's so…loud, stubborn, and, well, _wild_…whereas Yanagi's sweet, and calm most of the time. This fic I'm writing will _not_, however, be a pairing fic. Yes, there _will_ be a lot of Fuuko and a lot of Kurei in it…but it won't necessarily be a _pairing_ thing (unless I change my mind halfway through the story…or unless you would like it to _directly_ be a pairing).

Now that I've explained that…I won't necessarily by sticking to the _anime_ only…or the manga only (i.e. I'll be trying to use the events that take place in both of them).

Heh, well, that's about it…I hope this will be good! Oh, and before I forget:

**Disclaimer: **All the characters belong to Nobuyuki Anzai – I own nothing…except for Kurei, who willingly agreed that he's mine. (If only he _would_ say that!)

* * *

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**Chapter One: Surprises in the Forest**

"Recca…" growled the short-haired female as she walked into the darkening forest, "Is the biggest…" She clenched her hands into fists, "Idiot…" she stopped walking suddenly and stared ahead of her, "IN THE FREAKING WORLD!" A minute later, she had a small smile on her face, feeling much better already after screaming into the crispy evening air around her.

She growled as she remembered how he had started arguing with her, telling her that she was prone to getting injured, seeing as how she almost always rushed into things without thinking about the consequences of her actions, and how, since she was female, she tended to let her emotions get the better of her. The smile disappeared from her face, and was replaced by a scowl.

And why had he started ranting at her? Simply because she had told _him_ to stop sneaking the occasional 'murderous glance' at Mikagami, telling him that since he obviously did not consider the ice-block as a close-friend – or as a _friend_ even – that being nice to him was the least he could do to say 'thank-you' for actually taking part in the Urabutousatsujin to help protect Yanagi. It wasn't _her_ fault that what she had said was true – and that Recca could sometimes be the _biggest_ blockhead in the universe.

"I swear…if Kagero-san hadn't been there…you'd be sliced into a million pieces!" she said aloud, glaring at nothing in particular. A particular icy gust of wind blew around her, causing her to wrap her arms around her in a measly attempt to keep herself warm. She should have realized that walking around the forest at this time in the evening dressed in a pair of shorts and a short-sleeved t-shirt was not a good idea. But _no_…she had just barged out of the apartment and run outside after hearing what Recca had to say about her.

Her eyes widened. '_All you ever do is rush into things, doing whatever you want, without bothering to think about the consequences! You don't even pause to think about yourself, Fuuko!' _Recca's words ricocheted around her head once more. He – was he right…? _Did_ she really rush into things like that?

"Aargh! Fuuko-chan no baka! Stop it…that fool's wrong…he doesn't know anything…stop thinking about this…" she muttered, shaking her head hurriedly. "What is _wrong_ with – " She stopped suddenly when she heard, or thought she heard, the sound of voices coming from somewhere nearby. She looked around her warily, trying to figure out where the voices were coming from. She was _not_ in the mood for a surprise attack, if that was what the 'voices' signified. She would have continued on with her walk if she had not heard the sound of punches being thrown – and hitting something solid.

_Eh…that's weird…who would be throwing punches around at this time? _Her eyebrows shot up when she heard laughter. _Laughter at this time?_ Curiosity kicking in as it almost always did with her, she changed her course, deviating from the known path that she sometimes used to walk down whenever she entered the forest and heading in the direction she thought the laughter was coming from.

* * *

"Chichiue…" gasped Kurei, trying to look up at his father's figure even though he was being held down by five black-clothed men. "C – Chichiue-" he grunted when one of the men pushed his face into the ground. He could feel the pebbles and the grains of sand on his face and squeezed his eyes shut, refusing to show his pain.

"Mori-sama, I think we should leave now…the…the Uruha might be looking for him now…" said one of the men dressed in a black-suit, gripping his gun tightly in his hands as he looked nervously around the small clearing they were in, thinking he had heard a scream from somewhere. "We aren't _that_ far from the Urabutousatsujin-dome…and it won't take long for someone to find us here in the forest…" The guards holding down the leader of the Uruha were punching him seemingly effortlessly.

"Hmph…" Dark-haired Mori Koran shifted his gaze from the guard who had spoken, to the young-man currently being held down by a number of his bodyguards. "Well, Kurei…I hope this will be the _last_ time that I do this…" He grinned evilly as one of the guards raised his son's head from the ground, enabling him to see the blood trickling down from the side of his mouth, and the bruises on his forehead and his cheek. "Your _Uruha_ had _better_ succeed in getting me that girl of healing. If they fail to do so…" He paused. "You should know what will happen…"

"…Chichiue…" Kurei's face paled as he listened to his father, "The tournament is not over yet – we will have a few more opportunities to get Sakoshita Yanagi-san for you, so – "

" – And the next time you disrespect me in front of my guests, Kurei…your punishment will be even more severe…" Koran reached into his jacket-pocket and took out a small console with a sole red button on it, enjoying himself as he watched his son's eyes widen in horror, "You know what this console does, don't you Kurei? If I were to 'accidentally' press this…" He smirked at his son, "…someone dear to you will leave this life and this world instantaneously…" He waited, ignoring the chief of his bodyguards as he tried to tell him that they should leave soon.

Kurei hung his head, knowing that he had no choice. "…I will not do that again, Chichiue," he said, his voice hoarse, "I assure you, it will not happen again." Koran nodded. That was what he had wanted to hear from him; not only did that tell him that he _would_ be obeyed, but it also told him that the boy's love for his mother was still as strong as it was – which meant that he would not _dare_ to go against him in anyway, fearing for her life.

"Very well," he said, moving forward casually and kicking the back of his son's head as the guards pushed his face back down again, "I suppose it _is_ time to go then…" He nodded at his guards, "Let's get out of here."

"Hai Mori-sama!" The group of guards who had been standing in a sort of circle around Mori Koran while he _punished_ his son moved forward, covering the old man in case they were attacked. The men who had been holding Kurei down, however, stayed for a few additional minutes, kicking the prone figure of the young-man and leaving when he did not make any indication that their actions were hurting him…and when they grew afraid, realizing that since Mori Koran wasn't there, there was no telling what the man would do to them with his flame if they continued to attack him.

* * *

Fuuko ducked behind the foliage she had been hiding under as she saw the men move forward with Mori Koran. Her heart was beating wildly in her chest as she crouched down, hugging her knees to her. Uncharacteristically crossing her fingers, she prayed that the men would just quickly walk away. From what she had seen them do to someone as strong as _him_…she didn't really want to be caught spying on them.

"Wait." She tensed.

"What is it?"

"What's wrong? Is there someone here?"

"Don't worry Mori-sama we'll make sure that you get out of here safely."

"Oy, Kurogawa, why did you stop?" Fuuko was biting hard on her lip, forcing herself to remain quiet. A bead of sweat trickled down her face. _Go…please, just hurry up and go…_

"Hnn…nothing, I just thought I heard something moving around in those bushes over there. Must've been some sort of animal."

"Then let's stop wasting time and get out of here before Raiha or anyone else comes out here!"

"Hai Mori-sama!" Fuuko listened intently, not budging an inch, as the sound of the men's footsteps grew fainter and fainter…until she couldn't hear them anymore. Even though her mind registered the fact that they had left, her body refused to move. She stayed where she was, crouched down on the ground for a minute or two, before taking a deep breath and standing up. She was about to move forward, when she saw a few more men walk towards her. Her face paling rapidly, she dropped back down. A few minutes later, assured that the last of the men had left, she stood up once more, breathing heavily.

The thoughts and questions racing around her head made her stagger backward a little bit, as her mind tried to register what _exactly_ she had just seen…and how it was possible that such a thing had taken place in the first place. She frowned as she stared in the direction the men had gone off into. She had just seen Mori Koran a man who did not posses _any_ madougu whatsoever…successfully beat up the man who was…hers and her friends' sworn enemy. A _weak_ man had just beaten up the leader of the freaking Uruha. _How was that even possible!_

And…she frowned as she thought about the funny looking console that Mori had held up, threatening his son with it. What _was_ that console? And what had Mori Koran meant when he implied that he could use that console to take away someone important to his son? She turned around to stare at the small clearing and her eyes widened when she saw the figure lying on the ground. He wasn't moving. She continued to stare at his still figure, questions still whirling around in her head.

_Don't even think about going there…don't do something as crazy as that. Just turn around, turn your back to that little clearing and head back to Recca and the others_. She listened carefully to the voice in her head, a part of her agreeing with it. Yes, the safest thing for her _was_ to turn around and pretend as though she hadn't seen anything.

_What! You're going to turn your back on an injured man? An injured man who isn't even moving from the looks of things?_ She frowned. The second voice in her head was right…how _could_ she leave an injured man like that?

_This is Kurei we're talking about, idiot! Not just any injured man – it's Kurei, the man who has vowed to kill you all!_ That made complete sense to the confused Fuujin-Wielder, so she turned around and had not even taken two steps forward, when her second voice stopped her.

_You spared Fujimaru's life when you quite clearly disliked him…so why should you do differently here? Or…are you…afraid…?_ If there was one word (amongst others) that Fuuko hated being described with, it was 'afraid.' Whatever else she might be (i.e. inquisitive, stubborn, annoying, and even unladylike) she was _not_ afraid of anything. Turning back around, she entered the clearing and walked quietly up to him.

* * *

He knew that they were gone; he realized it the moment the punches and kicks stopped. And yet, that didn't do much to help him. He lay where he was face down on the ground, without moving. He smirked inwardly; he had been through many 'beatings' and 'punishments' in his life – four hundred years ago he had been thrown stones at whenever the other village children saw him, and then, in the current time frame he was in, he had been beaten and punished by his father countless times – and here he was, lying still due to the fact that his whole body screamed in pain. The smirk disappeared and was replaced with a frown. If he wasn't even able to handle a pathetic man's punishments…then how could he expect to handle the vast number of punishments his half-brother was probably ready to dish out to him when they next met? _How pathetic…_

Trying to turn around so that he would be lying on his back, he was unable to stop the hiss of pain from escaping through his bleeding lips. The pain searing through his sides and his back was immense. His face expressionless, he managed to raise his head enough to look around him, spotting his mask lying broken a few feet away from him, before his sore neck complained and his face fell back onto the ground. This was just great; he, the _leader_ of the Uruha…couldn't even muster up enough energy to turn on his back.

He raised his head once more, trying to make more sense of where exactly he was, and stopped once more – this time due to the fact that his vision was rather blurred. He narrowed his eyes, refusing to let worry pierce through his usual emotionless façade. As far as he could remember – and feel – his eyes had not been touched once during the beating he had received. His face, yes, his back and his chest yes…but not his eyes. As he continued to stare around him, ignoring the pain in his neck, he thought he heard the sound of footsteps approaching him. He tensed, wondering who it was. He couldn't figure out whose life-force it was, but he was sure it wasn't Raiha's…or even Joker's…

"…………" He stared ahead of him, his body tensed and screaming out in pain, trying to make out the figure that was standing in front of him. All he was able to see were a pair of sneakers, a pair of shapely legs, and shorts – he couldn't see more than that as his neck protested when he attempted to raise his head higher. He could tell, however, that it was a female. Perhaps it…was Neon…?

"Kurei…" He frowned at once, despite his injured state. Not only was that not Neon's voice, but Neon would never dare to speak to him in such a casual manner.

"Who…?" His head dropped to the ground as he was unable to keep the darkness from engulfing him. He was unconscious before he knew it.

* * *

Fuuko stared silently as she watched her 'enemy' raise his head, or attempt to raise his head in an attempt to identify her, before his head dropped and he stopped moving altogether. When she realized that he wasn't going to be able to attack her or do anything of the sort to her, she knelt down beside him. From what she could see, his clothes were torn at the back – probably from where he had been tackled and then been continually kicked on. Without hesitating, she turned him over carefully, so that he was lying on his back. She stifled a gasp when she saw his face.

Blood trickled down from his slightly opened mouth, and there were bruises on his forehead and his right cheek, although his scarred cheek was miraculously uninjured. She wondered what had happened to his mask, but soon found out when she saw it lying broken, a few feet away from them. Not really _hearing_ him breathe, she leaned forward and pressed her ear onto his chest. It took a while for her to actually hear his heartbeat, but the time was worth it. He _was_ alive.

She straightened as she continued to kneel down by the pale, unconscious man. _Uh…now what do I do? _She stared at the trees around her, as though expecting _them_ to provide her with an answer. As was natural, they gave her none, except for the rustling of their leaves as another gust of wind blew around, causing her to shiver.

"Urgh…" she mumbled, staring at Kurei's pale face again, "_What_ do I _do?_" She could always leave him where he was and pretend nothing – she shook her head hurriedly, no, it was too late to do that now. In that case…she could leave him and go back to _civilization_ and get help, or maybe even get Yanagi to come with her. _Yeah, as if! Yanagi-chan's REALLY nice and sweet, but do you REALLY think that she'll heal the man who happens to be the reason why her life is in danger these days? Not likely!_

Shaking her head free of these suggestions as she realized that they weren't helping, she dug into the back pocket of her shorts and drew out a white handkerchief with her name embroidered in purple in one of the corners. Her mother had made them for her a few years back and had forced her to carry them around as a child…and she guessed that that habit had stuck with her. Using one corner of the handkerchief, she slowly reached out and wiped away the trail of blood that leaked out of Kurei's mouth, wondering whether he had any internal injuries at the same time.

As she leaned forward to see whether there was any more blood on his face, her knee knocked against something hard, causing it to make a curiously musical sound that was out of place in the atmosphere that surrounded her. Looking down hurriedly, she saw that it was the bangles – the thing that kept Kurei's flame-power in control. She unconsciously wondered why _he_ had got bangles and Recca had got an armguard. Chiding herself for thinking about such trivial matters, she was about to turn away when she caught sight of the gash on the back of his left hand, extending from his knuckles to where his bangles started, at his wrist.

Usually, she wouldn't have cared about gashes – she got them plenty of times and therefore knew through experience that they healed normally, as long as they didn't get infected – but this gash was pretty deep. And she wouldn't have seen it if the long sleeve of his arm hadn't been pulled up to reveal his bangles. Frowning, she raised his hand and eyed the gash. She dropped the hand on the ground immediately when she saw _just_ how deep it was; deep enough to reveal what she knew were tendons. Reminding herself that she had seen things worse than that, she picked it up again. Since she didn't have any antiseptic or anything on her which she could clean the gash with, she settled for tying it up with her handkerchief. At least that way, the bleeding would be curbed and it wouldn't get infected – hopefully.

Satisfied with the knot she made on the handkerchief/bandage (she tied the knot extra-tight when she realized that this _was_ Kurei and that she _could_ hurt him 'innocently' without him waking up and frying her) she put his hand down, pulling down his sleeve to cover it, and ran her eyes over his body. She couldn't _see_ any other blood stains anywhere…and even if she _did_ spot a few, there was nothing she could do about them.

_But…why would his own father beat him up like that?_ She frowned as the questions appeared in her mind again. What bothered her even more was the fact that Kurei actually _allowed_ his father and the other men to beat him up. Yes, she understood that parents should be respected…but to the extent that you allowed them to beat you up?

Her eyes narrowed as another thought popped up in her head. _Hang on…there's a problem here…Mori isn't Kurei's father. Kurei's father – and Recca's father – died 400 years ago, with the rest of the Hokage. Then…why's Kurei…letting Mori just – just walk over him like that?_

"What's going _on_ here…?" she asked aloud staring down at the unconscious man with her brows furrowed. "Man…I really wish someone would – "

"Kirisawa…Fuuko?" Fuuko whirled around hurriedly, gimlets already in her hands in case she needed to hurl them at whoever it was. Standing behind her was a vaguely familiar orange-haired lady. What caught Fuuko's eyes immediately – apart from her vibrant hair colour – was the armor on her chest…and the strange orbs that were _on_ that armor. _Are those…madougu?_

"Who are you?" she asked, frowning as she tried to remember where she had seen the tall lady before.

"…Uruha Jyushinshuu Neon." Fuuko's green eyes widened. Uruha Jyushinshuu. _Uruha_ Jyushinshuu. _Oh boy…she's the one that killed Genjuro after his battle with Recca…_

"What do you want?" she asked, standing up slowly – and taking care not to step on the unconscious man lying on the ground behind her, "If you're here to incapacitate me so that Hokage will be one fighter less when we face you, I'm telling you, it won't work." Neon raised her eyebrows at her posture, standing with her back slightly bent, ready to attack if the need arose.

"If I wanted to do that, Kirisawa Fuuko, I wouldn't waste time _talking_ to you," she said, her voice haughty. "I just happened to be in the forest when I stumbled upon this clearing and – _Kurei-sama!"_ Fuuko winced at the shrill scream that came out of Neon's mouth. As it was, she had to resist putting her hands over her ears.

"Oh…yeah…it's a good thing you came…Kurei's – " Fuuko yelped as the orange-haired lady rushed forward towards the unconscious man, pushing her roughly aside as she did so. "Hey! Watch it!" she growled, managing to regain her balance before falling.

" – What happened – Kurei-sama!" gasped Neon, as she knelt down by her master's side and saw his face. The fact that he was unconscious was more worrying than the bruises. "But…who…?" Fuuko started when Neon whirled around to stare at her, her blue eyes blazing. "…You? _You_ were…_able_ to do this to him?"

"Huh? What are you talking ab – " Fuuko threw herself to the right, rolling over before getting to her feet again, as the orange-haired lady lunged at her. "What – what the _hell_ are you doing!" she yelled, her green eyes narrowing at the fuming lady who looked like she was ready to lunge at her again.

"I don't _believe_ this!" shrieked Neon, glaring at her, "How could someone as _weak_ as _you_ do this to Kurei-sama!" She lunged at a stunned Fuuko who was too busy processing Neon's words and accusation to move. As it was, a fist connected forcefully with her gut, sending her flying back a few feet, before she could gain control of her body.

"I didn't hurt him!" said Fuuko, brushing her bangs out of her eyes, "If that's what you're implying. I just came here to see him unconscious – oof!" She was hit by Neon's first kick to her, but managed to avoid the second. "Bloody hell, _listen_ to me Neon or whatever your name is! I _didn't_ hurt your precious master, OK! I WOULD have, given the state he was in, but I'm NOT like YOU and the rest of the Uruha! I DON'T attack people when they're defenseless – that's not the way the Hokage works!" As she explained this to the irate woman, she dodged the various punches that were being thrown at her. "For god's sake will you – "

Neon took advantage of the time she spent explaining whatever it _was_ that she was explaining, to speed up towards her and knock her out with a well placed kick to the side of her neck. If Neon had _not_ been swayed by what the girl had said, the kick would have had more force…and would have been an extremely lethal one…but something had made her reduce the force of the kick at the last minute. She watched as the Hokage Wind-Wielder fell sideways.

She stared hard at the brown-haired girl. Dressed in a pair of shorts and a blue t-shirt, she _hardly_ looked like she was capable of facing Kurei-sama without getting severely injured in the process – not to mention actually managing to render him unconscious. Maybe she had jumped to conclusions…Shaking her head and breathing heavily she turned around and headed back to her master's still body, her expression tender as she brushed a few strands of hair from his face, before standing up and supporting him with an arm around his waist and the other arm holding onto _his_ right arm.

"Hang in there, Kurei-sama…" she whispered to him, as she walked away, out of the clearing.

* * *

"Fuuko-chan! Thank goodness! We were getting worried – " Yanagi stopped short when she saw her friend clearly; her clothes were dirty and she had a small bruise on her face. Fuuko smiled wearily at Yanagi, holding onto the door to steady herself.

"Gomen," she said, "Did I miss anything interesting?" By this time, Fuuko was inside the living room of the apartment, Yanagi following her after making sure that she locked the front door.

"Fuuko-sama!" yelled Domon, grinning in his usual love-sick manner, "You _sure_ did miss a lot! You missed me kick Hanabishi's ass!"

"Go to HELL DOMON! As if you'd EVER be able to do that!" yelled Recca, glaring at him.

"Oh yeah! What makes you think THAT, Hanabishi?"

"The fact that you're just a GORILLA!"

"HANABISHI!" Fuuko shook her head as she headed towards the room she shared with Yanagi and Kagero. She would have just plopped herself down on the couch but she didn't want anyone seeing her bruises and asking questions. It was bad enough that Yanagi had seen them – although in any case, she knew that Yanagi wouldn't ask her what had happened unless she felt that she wanted to tell her. She also wanted to peacefully reflect on what she had seen in the forest, a while ago. It _still_ didn't make any sense to her.

"Fuuko…are you alright?" asked Kagero, walking out of the room they shared and seeing Fuuko's dirty clothes. She nodded.

"Yeah…I'm…fine," she said, conjuring up a bright smile on her face. "I just had a small fall…I'm really clumsy, you know?" She saw Kagero looking somewhat skeptically at her. "I'm doing great!" She turned to her right, where Mikagami was seated on the couch and whacked the top of his head playfully, "See? Just fine!"

"Monkey! What the hell was _that_ for!" exclaimed Mikagami, turning around to glare at her and stopping as he caught sight of her. "…What happened to you, monkey? Did you decide to start acting more like a monkey and attempt to climb trees or something?"

"N – "

" – Oy…Fuuko…" Turning around, Fuuko saw Recca standing behind her with a sheepish expression on his face. She raised her eyebrows, "Er…about what I said earlier…you _know_ that…I didn't mean to say all of that, right?"

"…I – "

" – I was just really mad that what you said was true – about Mikagami – so I just said what came to my mind…and you of all people should know that the things that randomly pop into my mind aren't necessarily true…" Fuuko smiled weakly at her best-friend.

"So…basically, you're sorry…?" Recca nodded vigorously, "Yeah, yeah, I forgive you…" Her smile widened, "Baka…" She reached forward and whacked him playfully. Smiling back at her, Recca returned the playful whack, unaware that everyone else in the room was exchanging relieved smiles (or maybe not, in Mikagami's case).

"Thank goodness they solved _that_ problem…" said Kagero, sounding extremely relieved. "It wouldn't have been nice if those two best-friends were to fall out all of a sudden…especially with what's at stake…"

"Humph…" was all that Mikagami said, as he crossed his arms across his chest.

* * *

Kurei opened the door to his study and walked inside, slamming the door shut behind him. He paid no heed at all to the fact that he should rest…or that it was midnight. Ignoring the pain that seared through his back, he walked towards his desk and sat down on the chair, wincing slightly as his back protested. The room was dark, being illuminated only by the table-lamp that was always switched on.

He glanced at the pile of files on the right side of the desk – files that contained statistics and personal information of the various teams that were taking part in the Urabutousatsujin. He didn't bother giving the files a second glance; they were of no use to him, really…the only reason why he even _had_ them on his desk was because his _father_ had demanded that he go through them and select the strongest teams to face the Hokage…and the weakest to face Uruha Kurenai. He scowled; it had been quite clear that his father had thought that _his_ Uruha Kurenai was weak. And that he thought the Hokage was stronger than him.

His father…a dangerous aura surrounded the dark-haired man as the events of that evening came back to him. Mori Koran…if only…if only there was a way for him to destroy him…to eradicate him…

Frustrated, he ran a hand through his hair, unconsciously making a mental note to select a new mask from his collection, seeing how his other one had been broken. There was _no_ way for him to destroy Mori Koran, not unless he was willing to sacrifice his mother's life. He may be the leader of the Uruha, and he may be seen as being horribly cruel by others…and he knew that he was considered as not having any emotions whatsoever; but he _did_ care for his mother. It was bad enough that he had lost _one_ mother 400 years ago…that he had left her behind when she had asked him to…he did not want to lose his _second_ mother simply because he disobeyed a corrupted fool's orders.

He would _have_ to somehow win the Urabutousatsujin…and get the girl of healing from the Hokage. A brief part of him pitied the girl Sakoshita Yanagi. He could just _imagine_ what his father would do to her…he shuddered, not wanting to dwell too much on that thought. Yet, his pity was not great enough to make him want to keep her away from his father. It was really simple, actually; he defeated the Hokage, obtained the girl of healing and handed her over to his father…and he could be assured that his mother would be safe…at least for a while…

Feeling a sudden sharp pain on the back of his left hand, he pulled back the sleeve of his red robe and was surprised to see the handkerchief wrapped tightly around his hand. _It must've been Neon…_He was ready to agree with that thought; it _had been_ Neon who had brought him back to the mansion after all; when he suddenly remembered that he had seen someone _else_ walk up to him…and how he had just managed to register that it _wasn't_ anyone he knew before he had gone unconscious.

He frowned. Who was it that he had seen? From what he could remember, it was a female…but it definitely _wasn't_ Neon. Still frowning, he untied the handkerchief slowly, hoping that it _was_ indeed Neon's. The last thing he needed was for anyone _else_ outside of the Uruha to have seen him in that weakened state he had been in.

He wasn't fazed one bit by the gash he saw on the back of his hand – he was used to injuries far worse than that. It was the handkerchief that caused the peculiar expression to form on his unmasked face. The handkerchief itself was white, except for the areas where blood – his blood – covered it. It was the purple embroidery on one corner of it that had caught his eye. The embroidered _name_ was what had caught his eye.

_Fuuko_…

* * *

**A/N**

Well? Was it good? Or was it so terrible that it was painful reading it? Heh, I'd like to hear your opinions on this, please!

See ya!

Siriusgirl1


	2. Questions

**A/N**

Here's chapter two! I just really felt like typing this much before seeing what everyone thought of it. Hope it's good!

* * *

**Chapter Two: Questions**

"Fuuko," called Kagero, as they headed towards the Urabutousatsujin-dome, "Where'd you get that bruise from?" Fuuko slapped her hand over the bruise on her neck wincing as she did so, and mentally berated herself for not wearing something that would have covered it.

"Well…er, like I said, I fell and knocked my neck against…against a pole," she said, crossing her fingers behind her back. She could tell that Kagero didn't believe her, but was relieved when the older lady simply nodded.

"I see…" she said, "But…if it happens to be…the result of some outside fight or the other – "

" – It's not, Kagero-san," interrupted Fuuko, hurriedly.

"I know, but if that _does_ happen to be the case…there's no reason for you to hide it from us," said Kagero, before she turned to stare at the rest of the team, who were walking ahead of them, "I sure hope that those two manage to sort out their differences…"

"Eh?" Fuuko growled when she saw Recca and Mikagami yell at each other – or rather, Recca yell and Mikagami retort icily. "Those two…" Scowling, she stomped up to them and whacked them both on the head.

"What the – "

" – What the _hell_ was that for Fuuko! I was just trying to teach the perverted, blood-sucking fridge-boy over here that – "

" – _Excuse-me?_"

"You have a problem with what I said!"

"Yes, I think I – "

" – What is _wrong_ with the two of you! We're about to start the third round of the tournament, and you're arguing like a pair of _three year olds?_" asked Fuuko, glaring hard at the two men, "Look, I don't know _what_ happened to start this rivalry again, and I don't even _want_ to know," she added as she saw Recca glance at Yanagi, "But all that matters is that you two are teammates and you _have_ to learn to get along with each other if – "

" – I _can't_ get along with him! He's just a – "

" – Oy, Hanabishi, Mikagami, stop it will you?" asked Domon, sauntering up to them and looking slightly worried. "Didn't you two _see_ what that gorgeous Neon woman did to Genjuro? We really need to be careful in this round…"

"I think _I_ can handle Neon perfectly _well_," said Recca, crossing his arms across his chest, "Maybe you should worry about _him_. He might not be able to handle whoever _he_ has to face."

"There's no need to _worry_ about me, thank you," said Mikagami, icily, "I assure you that I will do my part well – I'm not emotionally unstable like _you_ are…"

"WHAT! MIKAGAMI – "

"Minna, we really _should_ get going. We _don't_ wanna be _late_ do we?" called Koganei, stopping a concerned Yanagi from going to attempt to stop the quarrel, "There's no point, Yanagi-chan," he said to her, "Let them go at it…hopefully it'll calm down enough during their matches…"

"Fine, fine, let's get going," growled Recca, stomping ahead, "Let's not waste time talking to _fridge-boy_ over here…"

"Why you – " Mikagami stopped when he felt someone tugging at his arm. Turning around, he saw Fuuko standing right behind him, shaking her head slowly.

"It's not worth it Mi-chan," she said quietly, her green eyes serious for a change, "Let's just get this over with…and then you two can rip each other apart, OK?" Mikagami roughly brushed her hand away from his and walked ahead without saying a word. Fuuko stared after him, a small frown on her face.

"This doesn't look good, does it…?" asked Domon, seriously as well. Fuuko shook her head.

"Come on, let's just go," she said, hoping against hope that the two _rivals_ would at least _behave_ themselves during the course of the third round.

* * *

Kagero watched as Neon and Miki stood in the ring, looking pretty smug as they stared at the Hokage. She didn't like what was happening. The moment she heard Neon's proposal for a two on two battle she figured out what the orange-haired lady was trying to get at.

"Recca! Mikagami-kun! Don't accept – it's a trap!" she yelled, stepping forward hurriedly. Neither of the two men even turned around to acknowledge her.

"No way!" said Recca, laughing as he reached out and pulled Fuuko towards him, "I'd rather fight with Fuuko as my partner!"

"Same here…" said Mikagami, quietly. Fuuko glared at Recca and turned to Neon. The mixed expression of hatred and confusion on Neon's face scared her – especially when she saw that it was directed at her.

"Kirisawa…Fuuko…" hissed Neon, her blue eyes slits in her face as she stared at the younger girl. Recca moved away from his friend somewhat warily.

"You…know her, Fuuko?" he asked, not missing the look Neon was giving her, "…Did you like…do anything to upset her or something?" Fuuko shook her head as she continued to stare at Neon, the beating she had received the other day still fresh in her mind. _And I even tried explaining to her that I didn't hurt her precious 'Kurei-sama'!_

"Nope…I've never seen her before in my life," she said, unconsciously raising her hand and touching the bruise on her neck. Kagero, who had noticed the slight change in Fuuko's behaviour when Neon and the rest of her team had entered the dome earlier, noticed what Fuuko was doing. Her brows furrowed, she turned to look at Neon. _I wonder…was she the one who gave Fuuko that bruise? If so…does that mean that she and Fuuko had a fight sometime before this?_

"If either of you want to use _her_ as your partner, go ahead! But hurry up and make up your minds!" said Neon, still glaring at Fuuko.

"Onesan," said Miki, surprised, "I thought the plan was to get Mikagami and Recca-san to – "

"Aa, that _was_ the original plan…" agreed Neon, interrupting her little sister, "But…I have a score to settle with that girl…" Miki glanced at Fuuko in surprise, before turning back to her sister. She had a score to settle with Hokage's Kirisawa Fuuko? But…her sister had never even _met_ Fuuko before this…had she?

"Alright then, it's decided – Fuuko will be joining – "

" – She'll be joining me." Fuuko sighed heavily, pushing aside all thoughts of Neon out of her head, as she watched Recca and Mikagami glare at each other. So now they _both_ wanted her to be their partner…

"God dammit, will you two _stop _this?" she asked, as the crowd began jeering at them, shouting out a few insults as they went along, "You know, they're right…are you two just cowards? That's why you don't want to go together and face Neon and Miki?"

"Say that again Fuuko and I'll – "

" – Listen, Recca, I'd love to pair up with either of you for this fight – yes, you too, Mi-chan – but it's quite obvious that neither of you can decide who pairs with whom, and I sure as hell am _not_ going to pick one of you two," she paused, "If you don't hurry up and decide…well, we all might as well leave, and forfeit this round…"

"What are you doing, Hokage! Hurry up and decide! We don't have all day," said Neon, "Either it's Recca and Mikagami, Recca and Fuuko, or Mikagami and Fuuko. _Hurry up_."

Kagero saw the dark look that Neon gave Fuuko again, and bit her lip. She had no idea what kind of madougu this woman used, and when she paired that up with the fact that she somehow seemed to dislike Fuuko…she didn't think that it was wise to send her with either Recca or Mikagami. Besides, Fuuko wouldn't be able to control her anger towards her either. Yes, Mikagami and Recca were not on good terms either, but…Mikagami was completely emotionless, and wouldn't lose his cool…and Recca, well, Neon _was_ the Captain of the team…so it was only fair that Recca fought against her…

"I don't think that either of you should pair up with – "

" – Are you two not _man_ enough to make a decision!" called out Neon, interrupting Kagero. Kagero was only _slightly_ relieved when she saw Mikagami _and_ Recca step out onto the ring, Recca glaring, and Mikagami expressionless as usual.

"Say that again Neon!"

"We'll see who wins this…maybe _then_ you'll find out who's _man_ enough…" Neon stared at the two men in the ring, somewhat disappointed. _If only…Kirisawa Fuuko had come out…_

"Very well! Let's see, shall we?" she asked, straightening, "I guess that Kirisawa Fuuko was the coward here…not willing to come out and fight…"

Fuuko growled, causing Yanagi and Koganei to look somewhat worried. "If you have _any_ queries about _my_ courage, why don't we have an extra fight after your battle with Recca and Mi-chan?" yelled Fuuko, clenching her hands into fists, "Or do _you_ just like attacking people _outside_ of the ring? When they're not expecting it?"

"Humph…" was all that Neon said, as the referee announced the start of the match. She shouldn't think about fighting Kirisawa Fuuko. Not _yet_, at least. She had more important things to think about – like making sure that the Hokage were defeated.

"Fuuko-chan…is…everything alright?" asked Yanagi, noticing Fuuko's clenched fists. Fuuko nodded, unclenching her fists and smiling.

"Hai…" she said, "Don't worry about me…we should worry about those two idiots…"

"You're right…I hope they get through this," mumbled Koganei, chewing his lip nervously.

"Have a little _faith_ you guys! Of course they will!" exclaimed Domon, "Sheesh! They'll pull through…just you wait…"

* * *

Passing the Urabutousatsujin-dome as he headed towards the mansion he stayed in, Kurei had caught sight of the large screen on one of its' walls and had stopped, slightly curious to see how Hokage's match with Uruha Oto was going. As he watched the last fight on the screen, ignoring the crowd of people who were murmuring and gasping each time one of the fighters got hit, Kurei smiled to himself. It was quite clear that Recca and Mikagami were at odds with each other…and that they weren't going to be working together in this fight. Maybe Neon _did_ have a chance after all…

As he stared at the screen, he caught sight of a mop of brown hair and he found himself focusing his attention on the Fuujin-user standing beside her other teammates as they all watched the fight that was taking place. Without knowing why he did it, he gripped his left hand, fingering the handkerchief that he had found there the night before.

A number of questions formed in his head, just like they had done earlier when he had _found_ the handkerchief. If it _had_ been Kirisawa Fuuko – he still couldn't be sure, he might have had that handkerchief on his hand by some other means, although he doubted it somewhat – why had she bothered to tend to him? Wasn't he her enemy? Wasn't he the one that was endangering the lives of her friends, especially one particular friend? He stopped and glared coldly at one of the spectators who had accidentally poked him in the ribs. Squeaking as she saw the glare she was receiving, she bowed hurried and mumbled an apology before moving away.

He frowned as a bothersome thought struck him. What if she had seen what Mori Koran had done to him? He didn't know how long Fuuko had been there, in the forest, but…what if she had been around long enough to hear everything that Koran told him? What if – his face paled here – what if she had gone and told all of that to the rest of the Hokage? The last thing that he needed was _Recca_ finding out about him and his life…

"Something wrong, Kurei-sama?" He started when he heard the familiar soft voice from behind him. Immediately ashamed of his behaviour and glad that his new mask was covering his face, he turned around to see Raiha standing behind him, his eyebrows raised.

"…Recca and Mikagami don't seem to be doing well today…" he said, turning back to the screen. Raiha looked at it as well, silent.

"Hmm…but you never know. I've come to accept that with the Hokage, you never know what'll happen, whether they'll suddenly use some hidden power they have within them…or do something unpredictable like that…" he said, thoughtfully. As he moved forward so that he was standing in line with his master, Kurei, glancing at him out of the corner of his eyes, saw him his attention fixed on the corner of the screen. Looking at the particular corner, he was not too surprised to see the Fuujin-Wielder standing there, cheering her friends on.

"You sound as though you've analyzed everyone's behaviour, to make a statement like _that_," he said, smirking, "Or maybe you've just analyzed Kirisawa Fuuko's behaviour and just think that the rest of her teammates' should probably be the same?"

"K-Kurei-sama…I haven't analyzed their behaviour in any way…" said Raiha, flushing, "I…just assumed that they're that kind of people…" Shrugging, Kurei turned around and walked away.

"Whatever the result of this match may be…it wouldn't matter. I'd just be happy if the Hokage got through to the finals, so I can face Recca…" With that, he was gone, blending into the crowd as well as he could. Raiha stared after him, thinking about what his master had said. He flushed again. Had he implied…what he thought he had implied.

* * *

Everyone in the Hokage was relaxing that night, pleased with the outcome of the day's fighting. All three of the members that had taken part had won their matches…and not only did that mean that they had defeated _another_ member of the Jyushinshuu and her team…but that they had also advanced into the semi-finals. Even though they had been stunned by the way Uruha Ma had managed to defeat Jisho – the man who Neon and Koganei _both_ had said was extremely strong – and had been nauseated when they saw what the madougu the _Houmashin _did to Jisho, they had all silently agreed not to talk about that again. It gave them the creeps to even _think_ about it, much less to talk about it. And yet, even though they remained silent about what they did, they knew, deep down inside, that they would have to train hard and _really_ do there best in the next round.

Recca and Yanagi had disappeared somewhere, Recca saying that he wanted to train for the next round, and Yanagi saying that she wanted to go with him. In reality, everyone knew that she just wanted to be there to stop Recca from thinking too much about what Neon had told them all about Kurei's past. Mikagami had been left with his adoring fans, signing autographs even though he wanted nothing more than to be as far away from these strange people as was possible. Fuuko, Koganei, Domon and Kagero were walking away from the Urabutousatsujin-dome, talking animatedly.

"Ne, Fuuko-neechan, is there something on your mind?" Fuuko looked up at the dark-haired boy walking beside her, taken aback.

"Eh?" Koganei smiled cutely up at her.

"I may be small, neechan, but I'm not stupid," he said, "I know that there's something on your mind – something's been on your mind ever since you came back from your 'walk' last night…" He paused, "What's up?" As Fuuko debated on whether or not she should make up some lie or the other, she remembered that Koganei was once a member of the Uruha. _If he was a member of the Uruha…surely he would know at least something that'll answer my questions…_ Try as she might, she had not been able to get the incident she had witnessed in the forest out of her mind, and it hadn't helped when Neon had told them about Kurei's past.

She snuck a glance at Domon and Kagero who were walking behind them, Domon apparently telling Kagero all about his match against Aki and his feelings as Aki's madougu worked on him, even though Kagero had _been_ there when he had been fighting with her, and Kagero was being nice and listening to him, smiling or nodding whenever she deemed it was appropriate.

"Ne, Koganei…this is going to sound weird, I know, but…" Fuuko paused unsure of whether she should ask him or not.

"But?"

"Er…what do you know about Mori Koran?" She saw Koganei's eyes widen as he stared at her and felt rather uncomfortable, "It's just…well, I'm really curious…you know? We've never _really_ seen him until now…and he sounds like he had a great influence over everything that takes place here…" She didn't know whether Koganei bought her excuse or not, but whatever it was, he started talking.

"I don't know too much about him except that he's really, really rich…and that he has strong ties with the underworld…and can be linked to most of the crime that takes place in these places," he said.

"What? Strong ties with the…_underworld?_" echoed Fuuko, surprised, "But…but what would _he_ want with…with _madougu_ then?" Koganei shrugged.

"Maybe…to get more power?" he shrugged again, "I don't know. All I know is that he's basically an evil, corrupt guy who should not be allowed to live any longer…" Fuuko frowned. That didn't _really_ answer her questions…

"What does he have to do with Kurei?"

"What?"

"What does he have to do with Kurei? Why…does he call him '_Chichiue'_?" Koganei stared down at his sneakers.

"Uh, he was part of the family that took Kurei in…you know, like Recca-niichan's father took _him_ in," he said.

"Oh…" Fuuko was silent for a while afterwards as she thought about everything she had learned from last night until that moment. "That Neon…she's awfully loyal to Kurei isn't she?" Koganei grinned.

"Yep! We all used to tease her about being in love with Kurei," his smiled faded, "And…it's true…"

"Hang on…wasn't Mori Koran the one who killed Kurenai?" asked Fuuko, as she stopped walking suddenly. She didn't notice how uneasy Koganei was getting as she continued to ask him questions. "Wasn't he?"

"According to Neon…yes," he said.

"Then why the hell does he still listen to him? Why does he obey every command that he gives? Why does he do all of that even when he gets beaten up and – " Fuuko scratched the back of her head sheepishly as she saw Koganei giving her a weird look. "Ahaha…never mind! I'm just going on and on about nothing!"

Koganei frowned as his mind processed Fuuko's words. "…You were talking about Kurei weren't you?" Fuuko gulped.

"Me? Uh…heh, Koganei – "

" – He gets beaten up?" He frowned at Fuuko, "What do you mean?"

"N-Nothing, I wasn't – "

"Fuuko-neechan, what did you mean when you said that Kurei gets beaten up? By Mori Koran?" asked Koganei, a note of urgency entering his voice, "How do you know? Did you see something that – "

" – Ahaha…you're an inquisitive one, Koganei!" interrupted Fuuko, reaching out and ruffling his hair affectionately. Koganei pouted.

"Yeah? But you're the one who was just asking me so many questions…" he said. Fuuko grinned.

"Heh, well, yeah…but I was curious too," she said. She sighed when she saw the serious expression appear on the younger boy's face again.

"Neechan what did you mean when you said that about Kurei? If you know anything…please…tell me will you?" he begged. Fuuko averted her gaze from him, uncomfortable. She wasn't sure _why_…but something told her that it would be best if she didn't tell anyone about what she had witnessed.

"Well, I'm really confused…and I'm up for a long, tiring walk," she said, looking back at him with a grin on her face, "I'll see ya around, Koganei!"

"Neechan - "

" – Nothing to worry about, I'm just going for a walk!" Waving, she sped off ahead, hoping that no-one would follow her. She vaguely heard Domon exclaim and shout out something along the lines of '_Fuuko-sama, don't leave me!'_ Shaking her head, she quickened her pace a bit.

* * *

"I'm sorry…Kurei-sama, I should have defeated the Hokage…" Neon was humble as she spoke to her master. He didn't budge from his place gazing out into the garden through the large window he was standing in front of.

"Yes, you should have…" said Kurei, coldly. Neon flinched, her head bowed. "But it doesn't matter…in fact I find it rather interesting…" He smiled. "They've defeated Uruha Maboroshi…and now Uruha Oto…" He paused, "The next test for them will be Uruha Ma." Neon looked up at that moment.

"That's right, Kurei-sama, I was going to ask you about them…" she forced the tears in her eyes to _stay_ there, instead of rolling down her cheeks, "That…that Magensha…do you – do you know what he did to Jisho?" Her master stiffened, before he nodded.

"Yes, I…heard…"

"How could they do such a thing Kurei-sama! They had no right to kill…to kill _Jisho!_" exclaimed Neon. Her master's answer stunned her.

"Accidents _do_ happen sometimes, Neon," said Kurei, coldly, "It _is_ a pity that Jisho was killed…but…sometimes, we have to accept what happens…"

"But Kurei-sama – "

" – That's enough Neon," interrupted Kurei, sternly, "You have no right to judge _anyone_. Are you forgetting your place?" Neon stiffened.

"I'm sorry, Kurei-sama…I – I didn't think about what I was saying…" she mumbled, bowing her head. Kurei turned around slightly, so that he was able to see Neon _and_ the garden he had been looking at.

"I asked you to come here Neon to ask you about last night," he said, serious, "You were the one who found me…in the forest, am I right?" If Neon was surprised at the change of topic, she didn't show it.

"Yes, Kurei-sama," she said.

"Did you…see anyone else there?" asked Kurei, carefully, "When you arrived, was anyone else there?"

"…Yes…" whispered Neon, bowing her head as fury rose in her again.

"Who was it?"

"Hokage's…Kirisawa Fuuko…" said Neon. Kurei said nothing for a while as he turned back to stare out of the window. So, he _had_ been right… "If…if you don't mind me asking, Kurei-sama, did she…was _she_ the one…who attacked – "

" – You think I am _so_ weak as to let the still inexperienced girl attack _me_?" asked Kurei coldly as he spun around to look at Neon again. "Neon?"

" – Kurei-sama I didn't – "

" – The other reason why I called you out here Neon, was to talk to you about what you told Recca and the others…" Neon stared in alarm at her master as he advanced on her, "…What you told them about Kurenai…and about my past…"

"Kurei-sama I – " Neon was thrown backwards when Kurei punched her hard.

"Have you decided to betray me too, Neon?" asked Kurei, his voice dangerously low as he lifted her up and punched her again.

"N…No, Kurei-sama!" gasped Neon, shocked, "I'd never – "

" – But you _told_ Recca about what I would have preferred to keep _private_. That's sort of like betraying my _trust_, Neon…" Unaware that the tears welling up in the orange-haired lady's eyes weren't due to the physical pain he was putting her in; they were there as a result of the _emotional_ pain he was causing her.

* * *

Fuuko was seated cross-legged on the ground, leaning against one of the thick sturdy trees that lined the pavement, her thoughts far away from that present time. Her mind was practically exhausted after processing what Koganei had just told her, what Neon had told them all, and with what she had seen yesterday. In fact, her mind was so exhausted that it was begging her to stop thinking about the whole thing. But…she couldn't do that.

"Let's see…last night, I distinctly saw Mori Koran holding up some kind of…console…" she said aloud, to no-one in particular, "…And he said something about Kurei losing someone that he loves dearly, if he didn't listen to him…" She frowned, "But Kurenai's already dead…what other person could he be 'loving dearly'?" She clutched her head as more questions swirled in it. "Aaargh…why – " She stopped in mid-sentence when she saw the tall figure walking down the road, towards her.

She frowned as she caught sight of a familiar mane of orange-hair. She stood up and called out to her just as she reached her. "Neon." When Neon looked at her, she was not successful in muffling her gasp, as she took in the bandages that covered the lady's face. She was sure that she hadn't received _those_ injuries from her battle with Recca and Mikagami.

"What do you want?" asked Neon, scowling at her. Fuuko sighed as she remembered the she thought _she_ was the one who had attacked Kurei.

"Look, Neon, you _have_ to believe me, I _wasn't_ the one who beat – "

" – I know…I…recklessly blamed you and I guess I should apologize for that," interrupted Neon, sighing.

"W- what?" asked Fuuko, amazed. Neon nodded.

"Yeah, you heard right, I'm sorry," she paused, "It's just that…when I saw Kurei-sama lying there…with you there as well, I just thought that…you had attacked him. I should have asked you what happened…" Fuuko smiled in relief as she raised her hand to her neck.

"No problem! I'm just glad that you realized that," she said, relieved, "But you sure _do_ kick well…" Neon smiled back at her, grimacing as pain sped through the injuries on her face. "Neon…what happened? Recca and Mi-chan didn't do that to you…did they?"

"As if I'd have let them!" said Neon, scornfully. She sighed heavily. "No, this…just happened…" Fuuko raised her eyebrows but didn't question her. It was none of her business if she didn't want to tell her. Besides, she had a more important question to ask her.

"Oh yeah…I wanted to ask you…" Neon looked up, surprised, "Remember when you told us about Kurenai?" Fuuko wondered why Neon had flinched, but brushed it off, "And when Mori Koran set off the bomb inside her? Well…what did the thing look like? The thing he detonated the bomb with…"

"I…I don't think I…should…"

"You don't think you should tell me? You've told us all of this so far, so why not just tell me this small detail?" asked Fuuko. Neon fidgeted uncomfortably, unconsciously raising her hand to gingerly touch the bandages that covered a whole side of her face. This was what she had got for telling them all that she had told them…she didn't really want another punishment…

"Fuuko, I really don't – "

" – Was it a long console kind of thing?" interrupted Fuuko, "With a single button at the top?"

"What! How…how did you know - ?" Neon realized her mistake at once – and even more so when she saw the somewhat triumphant expression on Fuuko's face. "I – why do you want to know?" Fuuko just grinned.

"No reason…I was…just curious," she said, her mind already digesting what she had just figured out. It didn't take her long to guess that the console she had seen Mori hold up probably meant that…there was someone else with a bomb implanted inside them. She frowned. _What the hell? What is going on here? So there IS someone else that Kurei cares about? _

Staring at the younger girl, Neon figured that she wouldn't get an answer out of her. Sighing, she cleared her throat, "Well…I should get going now…good luck for the semi-finals…" she said, nodding at her before continuing to walk down the road. Fuuko stared after her, before letting out a deep breath and plopping herself back down on the ground. She needed to think some more about this…it was just getting so confusing!

* * *

Kagero frowned as she listened to Koganei. What he said _really_ bothered her. It wasn't that she didn't trust Fuuko – no, she knew that she was Recca's best-friend and that she would never betray them – but she was really worried about the girl's welfare. She was a naturally curious person, and she was worried that she might stumble upon something that could get her into trouble. Like asking around about Kurei.

"I don't know, Koganei-kun," she said, sighing as she watched Recca, Domon and Mikagami argue about something or the other. She leaned back in the couch she was sharing with Koganei. "It's just…strange. She's been acting strange as well, hasn't she?"

"Hai," said Koganei, frowning, "I – I just hope that she doesn't get into trouble…I mean, not _all_ of the Uruha are nice, you know…" Kagero nodded.

"That's what I'm worried about…" she suddenly looked around her, "She's not back is she?" Koganei shook his head.

"Nope. She told me that she was just going for a walk…" he said, before looking concerned, "Should we go and look for her?" Kagero looked thoughtful for a second or two, before she shook her head.

"No…we'll wait some more," she said, "It's no point worrying the others unnecessarily."

"If you say so…" said Koganei, still frowning. _Fuuko-neechan, please be careful about what your curiosity lands you into…_

* * *

Fuuko stretched her arms out in front of her as she stood up and walked for a bit, her whole body numb after sitting for so long. She had to admit that she _was_ rather tired…even though she hadn't been fighting since she fought Fujimaru. She had just…been through rather surprising things. First it was falling into that trap and then being rescued by Raiha…and then she had seen Kurei being beaten up by his father, which was soon followed by being informed about Kurei's past…and then finding out that there was someone else who had a bomb inside them.

She ran a hand through her hair and shook her head hurriedly, trying to clear her mind, and only ended up hissing in pain as her neck screamed at the sudden movement. "Itai!" she moaned, rubbing the side of her sore neck. "Mou…that Neon…" Sighing heavily, she looked up at the now dark sky. "Che…what the hell is going on with Mori Koran…? Aargh! And why am I even _thinking_ about this in the first place? It doesn't even _concern_ me!"

"_What_ about Mori Koran doesn't concern you?" Fuuko yelped as she spun around upon hearing the cold voice. Her green eyes widened slightly as she saw the masked figure standing there, looking at her out of deep blue eyes that shone coldly. She gulped.

"K – Kurei…"

"Well? What about my father doesn't concern you?" repeated Kurei, still staring coldly at her. Fuuko fingered the Fuujin that was thankfully on her right arm. "Are you planning on using the Fuujin on _me?_" asked Kurei, seeing her touching the Fuujin. Fuuko gulped.

"…If and when _you_ attack me…yes, I'd have to…" she said, trying to keep her voice level. She couldn't see whether he had his bruises anymore as he was wearing his mask. Kurei took a step towards her, and it took a lot of self-control for _her_ not to take a step _backwards._

"You were in the forest last night, weren't you…?" he asked, quietly. "Neon told me…" Fuuko managed a weak grin.

"Yeah, I just went there for a walk…what about it?" she asked. Kurei was still moving towards her.

"You saw me…" he stared, simply.

"H-huh?" asked Fuuko, deciding to play dumb, "I saw you? When?" She cocked her head to a side, "Yesterday? Are you…sure?" She gasped as Kurei's arm moved forward in a flash to close around her throat. "W – What are – y-you doing…"

"What did you see?" hissed Kurei, moving his masked face closer to hers so she could see the lack of emotions in his blue eyes. Fuuko shook her head.

"I – I d-didn't s-see – " she tried to scream but couldn't as his hand tightened around her throat. "L – Let me g-go…" He was unknowingly applying pressure on her sore neck – and that was the last thing she needed.

"Tell me…_what_ did you see?" Fuuko gave up as her neck continued to scream in pain.

"Your – your father…he – he and his men were – were beating you up – " she gasped, not caring about what he might do to her afterwards, "I – I waited until they were gone b-before – ch – checking to see if you were…OK…" she squeezed her eyes shut as she ran out of breath. "L – Let me go – "

"Was anyone else with you?" Fuuko didn't answer, her stubbornness kicking in and only causing Kurei's grip around her neck to tighten even more.

"N-No!" she gasped, "O-only Neon…and – and she at-attacked me…thinking that _I_…attacked you…" She heard the masked man snort.

"Yes, she asked me that as well," he said, scornfully, "As if _you'd_ be able to hurt _me_…" Desperate, Fuuko raised her right arm and prepared to shoot a gust of wind at him. Unfortunately for her, her movements were rather slow…and he managed to grab her wrist before she could do anything. "I wouldn't try anything funny if I were you," he growled.

"J – Just lemme _go_…d – dammit!" Kurei shook his head.

"Who else did you tell about what you saw?" he asked.

"W-what?"

"Did you tell Recca or anyone else about what you saw?" Fuuko shook her head – or rather, she tried to.

"O-of c-course not…w-why would I – d-do that?" She didn't know what made the leader of the Uruha believe her, but it appeared that _something_ had happened, as he released his grip on her neck. She sank to her knees, clutching her neck as she took a couple of quick, deep breaths. She winced as her fingers touched the bruised area on her neck. She was going to be _extremely_ sore now…

"I'm warning you, if you tell _anyone_ about what you saw…" Kurei paused as she raised her head to look at him. "You _will_ regret it, do you understand?" Fuuko scowled at him.

"Are – you threatening me?" she asked, her voice slightly hoarse, "Because if you are – "

" – _Yes,_ I _am_ threatening you," interrupted Kurei, "And it would be sensible of you to take heed of that threat." He turned around. "If I were you, I wouldn't be wandering around _alone_ at this time of night…who knows which opponent of yours will try to incapacitate you…?" He let the full meaning of his words sink in, before he started walking away. He had not taken more than three steps forward when he was stopped.

"Wait." He stopped walking. "Why do you do it?" asked Fuuko, standing up.

"…………"

"Why do you continue to call him _Chichiue_?" she rubbed her neck gingerly, "Why do you still obey him, even after everything that he's done to you?" Kurei stiffened. _Damn you Neon…_

"Why do _you_ care," he asked, icily, "Would it be a nice story to…spread rumours and talk about with your friends?" Fuuko scowled once more.

"As _if_," she said, "It's not like I don't have _better_ and more interesting things to talk about. No, I just…wanted to know…" She stared at his back, "I know that _I_ wouldn't have continued to call any man that did _those _things to _me_ 'father.'" Kurei grinned behind his mask. _How naive you are, Kirisawa Fuuko…if only you knew…_

"It's none of your business Kirisawa Fuuko…" he said, coldly as ever, "So stop poking your nose around in other people's – "

" – Is it because he's threatening you? Is it because there's someone else that you love with a bomb implanted inside them?" Kurei did not stop himself in time, as he whirled around to stare at the girl standing behind him, still clutching at her throat.

"………How – "

" – I saw the console thing that Mori threatened you with last night," interrupted Fuuko, "And…Neon told me that that was the same thing he used to detonate the bomb inside of Kurenai so – " She stopped when Kurei reached forward once more and grabbed the front of her t-shirt. "H-Hey – "

"_Why_ are you so _concerned?_" he spat, his voice low. Fuuko met his steely gaze with her own stubborn one.

"I just want to know why you're obeying the orders of someone you _clearly_ don't respect…and who _clearly_ doesn't respect you," she retorted. The 'staring contest' continued for a while longer, before Kurei abruptly released his hold on her shirt. He stared at her for another brief minute, before stepping back. She stared back at him, not willing to turn away first. As it was, it was he who broke the gaze, turning around and walking away – in the direction he had come from.

"You wouldn't understand…" she heard him whisper, before he disappeared. She stared at the spot he had been standing in, her brows furrowed as she straightened her shirt and raised her hand to her neck once more. Now she was _more_ confused than before…and she was more determind to find the answers to her questions.

* * *

**A/N**

Heh, well, I hope that was satisfying! As you might have noticed, I changed a few things so that it fit with my ideas. Heh, well, chapter three will be up soon – I hope.

Reviews will be welcomed!

See ya soon!

Siriusgirl1


	3. Defending the Bad Man

**A/N**

Well, here's chapter three!

* * *

**Chapter Three: Defending the Bad Man**

Mikagami looked up when he heard her call his name out sweetly. He didn't know why, but he was immediately worried. _It must be the oh-so-sweet voice she's using right now._ He turned back to the book he was reading, hoping that the lack of interest in whatever she wanted to say would annoy her.

"Ne, Mi-chan…" called Fuuko, smiling down at him as she saw him try to ignore her. _You want me to get mad, don't you, Mi-chan? Heh, we'll see who wins this…_ "Mi-chan…" Mikagami still didn't look up as his attention stayed focused on the book he was reading – or rather, as he _tried_ to keep his attention on the book he was reading. The fact that the monkey didn't sound the slightest bit annoyed worried him. "Mi-chanMi-chanMi-chanMi-chanMi-chanMi-chanMi-chanMi-chanMi-chanMi-chan_Mi-chanMi-chanMi-chanMi-chanMi-chanMi _- ?"

"_What_ do you _want_, Monkey?" asked Mikagami, gritting his teeth. _So much for hoping that SHE would get annoyed…_ He saw the triumphant smirk on the brown-haired girl's face and scowled at her. _Dammit…I wasn't supposed to be the one who got annoyed…_Seemingly ignorant of the scowl she was receiving, Fuuko sat down on the park-bench beside him, grinning.

"Finally…I was wondering what _else_ I would have to resort to, to make you listen to me," she said, lightly. She looked at their surroundings; there were only a handful of people enjoying themselves in the well-kept park. She could see a number of teenagers – probably who came with their parents to watch the tournament – huddled in a group, and she was _sure_ she spotted two of the tournament referees…and a number of people she didn't really know but guessed from their build to be participants in the Urabutousatsujin.

Bored, she turned her attention back to her long-haired companion, who, she sweat-dropped, had simply returned back to his task of reading. "What's that you're reading, Mi-chan?" He looked up, frowning.

"_Captain Corelli's Mandolin_, by Louis deBernieres," he replied, not surprised when he saw the questions marks pop up around the girl's head, "You wouldn't know about it anyway…it doesn't matter…" Fuuko chose to ignore that particular insult.

"So, why are you reading all the way out _here?_" she asked, looking around, "I admit that this park's beautiful…but why not just stay in the apartment and read?"

Mikagami snorted, "Stay in the apartment while you monkeys are making so much noise? No _thank-you_," he said. The smile on Fuuko's face was getting rather stretched. He noticed this and smirked. "It's way more peaceful out here…"

"Is it?" asked Fuuko, distractedly as she watched a crowd of people form quite a distance in front of them. She sweat-dropped again when she noticed that they happened to staring hard at her and Mikagami. "Hmm…?" It was then that it hit her. The grin was back on her face as she watched the fan-girls continue to stare at _Mikagami_, not at her. "You _sure_ it's more peaceful out here, Mi-chan?"

"Of course it is," snapped Mikagami, annoyed. Was there any point to her constant babbling? "Can you give me _one_ example of it not being peaceful here?" He was surprised when Fuuko nodded.

"Them," she said simply, trying to control her laughter as she pointed at the large crowd in front of them. Sure that she was just pointing at some stupid thing or the other, Mikagami turned to where she was pointing at…and immediately wished he hadn't.

"…………"

"Well, Mi-chan, that's my cue to leave," said Fuuko, amusement quiet clear in her voice, "If you can get through _them_, I'd say that's all the training you'll need to do for the next round against Uruha Ma." She stood up, "Good luck, Mi-chan!" With a grin and a wave, she turned and skipped off, chuckling as she caught sight of the stunned expression on her companion's face.

Mikagami stared in shock as his teammate deserted him – looking _too_ happy for his liking – before he risked a glance at the crowd and held back a yelp of…_fear_ when he saw them advancing towards him. He gulped. _God dammit…why does this ALWAYS have to happen to ME? Fuuko…I'm really going to kill you if I get through this…_

* * *

Fuuko pulled at the rather high-collared shirt that she was wearing that day, trying to fan her sweating neck. Of all the days that she had decided to wear a high-collared shirt, the weather _had_ to be awfully hot. She _could_ have changed…but she really didn't want anyone seeing the bruises that now _completely_ covered her neck. It still hurt whenever she turned her neck around. She pushed aside the memories of what had happened the other day, not wanting to ruin her pleasant mood by making her mind ask a ton of questions again.

"Aargh…it's _so_ hot!" she moaned aloud, tugging again at the collar of her shirt. She had already rolled up the legs of her three-quarters…but there was nothing that she could do about her shirt. As she jogged past an empty region of the park – that was quite close to the Uruha mansion – a yell stopped her.

"Oy, Fuuko!" Turning to her right, she saw that it was Recca who had yelled out, waving at her. Seeing Yanagi and Domon there as well, she changed her course and jogged up to them, panting slightly as she reached them. "Whoa…what's wrong with you? Look at your face…it's all flushed…" Fuuko grinned at him.

"It's just the freaking weather," she said, looking up at the sky and scowling at it, "It's _so_ hot!"

"Why don't you change into something cooler then, Fuuko-chan?" suggested Yanagi, helpfully. Fuuko shook her head hurriedly.

"Nah…" She saw the curious glance Yanagi was giving her and added, "I can't be bothered going back to the apartment…" Yanagi shook her head, still smiling. "Where are the others?" asked Fuuko, looking at Domon and Recca, "And what are you guys doing here?"

"We've been training," said Recca, pointing at Domon – who, now that Fuuko thought about it, _did_ have a number of bruises on his face, as did Recca – "We've got to prepare ourselves to face Magen – to face Uruha Ma, right?" Fuuko nodded slowly. "Have you trained at all, Fuuko?" Fuuko shook her head slowly.

"Nope…" she said, sheepishly, "I know I should have though…" _See Fuuko-chan? This is what you get for thinking too much about OTHER people's problems! You saw what Magensha did to Jisho! Stop thinking about Kurei and TRAIN! Unless you want to disappoint everyone…especially since you haven't had a match since the first around against that idiot Fujimaru…_

"Fuuko-sama! How about you and me have a one on one?" asked Domon, his eyes having turned starry, "Of a different sort?"

"Baka," muttered Fuuko as she sent him flying with a well-aimed punch. Yanagi poked the still Domon, curiously. _He flew back quite a number of feet…Fuuko-chan…_

"Yo, you want to have a one on one with me?" asked Recca, looking at his best-friend. Fuuko's ears perked up.

"Eh?" Recca smirked at her.

"Unless, of course, you're _scared_ that you'll lose…" Fuuko's green eyes glinted as she clutched the Fuujin that was on her right-arm. _You wish baka!_

"Me? Lose to _you? _You wish, Recca," she said, beginning to grin. Yanagi, who had been comforting Domon (by repeating '_No, Domon-kun, Fuuko-chan doesn't hate you...she just, uh, doesn't like it when you, er, publicly display your love for her' _over and over again) looked up as she heard Recca ask, excitedly;

"So that's a yes, then?" Fuuko nodded.

"Yeah, why not…" _I mean, I've been beaten up by Neon and Kurei…I need some means of venting out my confusion and frustration…too bad it has to be you, Recca._

"Ano…do you really think it's OK to be doing this?" asked Yanagi, chewing her lip. She had seen the _fights_ that the two best-friends had had before Fuuko had even received the Fuujin, and when Recca hadn't _properly_ harnessed his power yet…and they hadn't been _nice._

"Of course Hime! I fought Domon, didn't I?" asked Recca, looking surprised.

"But…"

"Yanagi-chan, don't worry," said Fuuko, grinning, "I won't kill your ninja."

"Hah! You should just be glad that _I_ won't kill _you_, Fuuko! Even though I won't go easy on you because you're a girl!" exclaimed Recca, crouching forward. "Too bad this won't be like our earlier fights…with the 'ninja' thing at stake…" Fuuko shrugged.

"That makes it even better; fighting without a real purpose…" she said, her gimlets appearing in her hands. "Shall we?"

"You bet! Come _on!_" yelled Recca, as the two zoomed towards each other.

* * *

Unknown to the four friends, two figures were watching them, watching as the Flame-caster talk to the Fuujin-Wielder. They had merely been walking by when they had spotted them and had realized that they were training.

"Well…Ishijima Domon-san's fight with Recca-san was…interesting," said the dark-haired ninja, softly. His master said nothing for a while.

"Before Recca started using the fire-dragons to help him, that is," he said.

"Mmm, that's true," agreed the ninja, "In that case…it was a rather unfair fight…" The masked man snorted.

"When Ishijima Domon faces _me_, I won't think about what's fair and unfair…I'll use _my_ flame on him," he said, "So it's best that he's prepared. That's what Recca's doing; preparing him for having to face my flame." His cold blue eyes landed on the Fuujin-Wielder agreed to fight his half-brother. "This fight should be even more interesting…don't you think? Flame versus Wind…"

"Aa but I think that Recca-san's more powerful than Fuuko-san."

"That may be true, but Fuuko's speed is greater than Recca; giving her a slight advantage."

"But…the Fuujin, at its' inexperienced stage…against the five dragons Recca-san has managed to gain control of?" The blue eyed man shrugged.

"It's not like _Recca's_ too experienced either…" He paused, cocking his head to a side, "It'll be an equal fight, in my opinion…at least, at this stage." He was silent after that, as he watched the two fight each other. He wasn't surprised to see the brief, frustrated expression on the Fuujin-Wielder's face as she accepted Recca's proposal. She _must_ be frustrated what with the events that had taken place in the past few days – not only had _he_ confronted her and attacked her…but it appeared that Neon had done the same before that.

_I hope you have not told anyone about what you saw, Kirisawa Fuuko…I told you that you would regret it if you did. For your sake – and for your friends' – bear that in mind. _

* * *

"Saiha, _En-Shin!_" yelled Recca, as he neared Fuuko. He aimed the fire-blade at her and wasn't too surprised when she countered it.

"_Kaze no Tsume._" The three claws that extended from her Fuujin met with Recca's fire blade. They stayed like that for a second or two, pushing against each other and trying to see if either could gain any advantage, but it soon became apparent that they couldn't. Fuuko smiled. Even though it was still very early on in the match, she could tell that it was going to be fun.

Recca saw Fuuko's smile and a sly one crept into _his_ face. He was just going to test Fuuko's observational skills…While applying pressure on to her wind claws with his fire-blade he suddenly lifted his left hand and wrote out the kanji for Nadare. "Nadare _Dan-En!"_ Fuuko's eyes widened ever-so-slightly, before she withdrew from her block against Saiha.

She raised her hand high above her and brought it down fast. "Fuujin; _Kamaitachi_." Yanagi covered her eyes as the mini explosions took place, creating vast amounts of dust to rise.

"Che…those two are really at it…" said Domon, pulling Yanagi back a little. "I bet they feel good; they haven't had an actual fight for a long time."

Yanagi found herself nodding, even though she had a worried frown on her face, "Yes, but…isn't it…dangerous?" Domon shook his head.

"Don't worry about them – they're just really enjoying themselves. Trust me; I should know."

The dust cleared, to reveal Recca and Fuuko standing a couple of feet away from each other, staring at the damaged ground in front of them. Blades of wind had met the fireballs, causing the mini-explosions to take place as they cancelled each other out.

"Not bad, Fuuko!" yelled Recca, grinning. Fuuko simply shook her head.

"I'm not _stupid_, Recca. I saw you use that same trick with Neon – it may have worked then, but it's _not_ going to work with – " She sprinted to the side, ducking and rolling over to avoid being hit by the fireballs that had suddenly risen from where they had been buried in the ground after she had used her _Kamaitachi_ on them. She winced as two of the fireballs hit her on the chest and in her gut. _What the – _She turned back to where Recca had been standing, only to find that he wasn't there anymore.

Realizing what was going on, she whirled around with her _Kaze no Tsume_ ready, just as Saiha's blade connected with it. In her surprise at his sudden action, she found herself being pushed back. _Dammit…this is not the way this fight is supposed to go…_

"What's wrong Fuuko? Losing already! Man, before we all were even introduced to these madougu and to the Hokage, you fought better than this!" taunted Recca, "I used to actually _have_ to pull out all the stops against you!" Fuuko's green eyes narrowed. _Damn…_

"Shut-up," she growled, hurling a number of her gimlets at him, catching him off-guard enough for her to leap backwards, putting a fair bit of distance between them.

"Heh, you're resorting to your good old 'Fuuko' gimlets, are you?" asked Recca, throwing the gimlets back at her. She caught them and pocketed them, glaring at him as she did so. "What's the matter? Your Fuujin's not capable of handling _my_ dragons?"

"I said shut-up!" growled Fuuko, as she tried to think. Her _Kaze no Tsume _was able to counter Saiha's fire-blade…and her _Kamaitachi_ was able to hold against Nadare's fire-balls. But – she frowned – Recca had three more fire dragons to use. Two of which could be used to attack her, and the other one would be able to block any of her attacks if he was summoned… _Crap, what do I do? I can't lose to him like this – I'll never hear the end of it! _She looked down at the madougu on her arm. _Fuujin…I thought I was stronger with you…_

* * *

"The first two minutes of that match weren't bad," said the masked man, "She managed to block Saiha _and_ Nadare. As she said, she _did_ see what he did with Neon, summoning Nadare _while_ Saiha had been summoned," he paused, "But she should have remembered the time when he fought Kuukai, in the first round, and when he first used Nadare…"

"I don't think that this will be an easy fight, despite the fact that Recca-san _does_ have three more fire-dragons," said his long-haired companion.

"What makes you say that?"

"The way she's concentrating right now," said the long-haired man, smiling, "She's not going to let him defeat her easily. Especially since it seems like she's been losing to him for some time now – before he discovered his powers and she got her madougu."

"Hnn…"

* * *

Recca grinned as he mistook the expression on Fuuko's face for frustration. "What's the matter _Fuuko_? Giving up already?" he asked, placing an annoying grin on his face, "Did you _really_ defeat Ganko at Kurei's mansion? Did you really defeat Fujimaru? Are you really as strong as you _say_ you are?"

"_Recca_ – "

" – Come on, how do you expect to face Kurei in _this_ condition? Do you think he'd take pity on you just because you're a _girl_? I wouldn't count on _that_ if I were you Fuuko!" interrupted Recca, scowling as he thought of the masked man, "He's evil! He has _no_ heart! He'd _never_ spare your life!"

"What makes you think I'm going to even _ask_ him to spare my life, you big idiot?" exclaimed Fuuko, her green eyes blazing, "And it's not like _you_ can talk…we only have to defeat Uruha Ma the day after tomorrow to make it to the finals – against Kurei, hopefully – and you've only managed to awaken five of your eight fire-dragons." She stopped when she saw Recca narrow _his_ eyes. "Do _you_ really think that _you_ can face Kurei in _this_ condition?"

"What! Fuuko – "

" – It's obvious that he would have defeated you back then, in the mansion…but for some unknown reason, he held back," continued Fuuko, "You should think about this, Recca, after all, you're the one who's going to be facing Kurei at the finals, not _me_!"

"Homura _Ben-En!"_ Fuuko grinned. _You're losing your temper, Recca. _She watched as the fire-whip made its way towards her. _OK Fuuko-chan…your timing has to be PERFECT to pull this off._ She watched as the whip advanced towards her, and waiting until it was right in front of her, before she rolled out of its way. She heard it smash into one of the trees behind her but didn't pause to even look back as she started sprinting forward, towards an angered Recca.

She knew that her speed was her best skill – even more so than her power – and she was going to use it to her advantage. As she neared Recca, she saw the shocked expression on his face as he realized what was going on. When she was up close, Fuuko drew out her _Kaze no Tsume_ again; managing to tear at Recca's left sleeve, and managing to scratch him lightly.

She smiled inwardly as she saw the shocked expression on Recca's face turn into a sly one. He thought that she didn't know about what was going to happen, did he? Her senses on full alert, she grinned at Recca as she sensed the fire-whip turn around and head back, aiming at her.

"For your information, I _am_ rather observant," she said, not bothered by the grin that was forming on Recca's face as he saw his fire-whip head towards Fuuko, "And yes, I _did_ defeat Ganko and Fujimaru, baka yaro!" At that moment, she jumped into the air and back-flipped so that she was standing behind Recca.

"Oy!" Recca stopped the incoming fire-whip just in time, before it reached _him._ As he made to turn around, he felt three sharp claws pressed lightly onto the back of his neck. He grimaced. _Che…it's the Kaze no Tsume again. Fuuko…_

"Ahem…" said Fuuko, grinning at the back of her friend's head, "I'm _sorry_…but I believe you were saying something my _condition_…and something about me giving up…" Yanagi and Domon, who had remained silent throughout the match, moved forward now, seeing that it had drawn to a close. Yanagi had a small smile on her face as she watched Fuuko. She knew how much she had wanted to defeat Recca before, but she hadn't been able to…it looked like she had finally –

Recca drove his elbow into Fuuko's gut, causing her to withdraw the claws of wind from his neck in surprise. Whirling around he flipped her on the ground and knelt down over her, one hand clutching her neck and the other holding her arm with the Fuujin down. Winded, Fuuko blinked rapidly as she stared at the grin on his face. "Gomen, Fuuko…but…I still win this…" said Recca, happily, "You haven't won a _single_ match against me, baka! Heh, Hanabishi Recca wins again!" He looked down at the thin trail of blood that was leaking from one of the small scratched she had given him, "But you did manage to hit me…not bad…"

Fuuko stared at him in disbelief. _But – but…I – I had this match won!_ "Damn you, Recca…" she mumbled, scowling at him. Recca playfully increased the pressure on his friend's neck, wanting to get her all riled up. He was surprised when she let out a small scream.

"F – Fuuko…?"

"The neck – watch the bloody neck! _Please!_" Fuuko yelped, through the see of pain that her neck was currently going through. Surprised, Recca pulled aside the collar of her shirt and his eyes widened as he saw the blue-black bruises around it.

"What – what happened here, Fuuko?" he asked, staring at his friend, "When did you get those bruises?" Fuuko sat up, massaging her sore neck gingerly.

"It's nothing," she mumbled, as she pushed Recca off her and stood up, dusting her three-quarters and straightening her shirt, "Che, you won this time too, huh?"

"That was bad, Hanabishi…Fuuko had the match won," said Domon, as he and Yanagi reached them, "Fuuko-sama! Don't you worry! You can defeat _me_ any time you want to! You know I'll do anything for you, Fuuko-sama! You _know_ that don't – "

" – Yeah, yeah, I know Domon…" muttered Fuuko, shaking her head. "You can stop that starry-eyed thing now…" She suddenly smiled as she turned back to her best-friend.

"We _have_ to do this another time," she said, "And I'll _finally_ defeat you…"

"But – he won't be your ninja even if you _do_ defeat him now, Fuuko…" said Domon, confused, "Didn't you want him to be your ninja? Wasn't that why - ?"

"Yeah, but that was ages ago…" said Fuuko, waving her hand dismissively, "I just want to defeat him once and for all – so that he'll never boast about it again…" Her smile wavered when she saw the expression on Recca's face.

"Fuuko…those bruises - ?"

"I told you Recca, they're not important," said Fuuko, shaking her head. _There's no way that I'm going to tell you that they're from Neon and Kurei. You already hate Kurei enough, there's no reason to add fuel to the fire. _

"Recca-kun! Fuuko-chan! That was…an interesting fight…" said Yanagi, beaming at the two of them, "You were so close, Fuuko-chan…" Fuuko ruffled Yanagi's hair, cheerful as ever.

"I know – don't worry Yanagi-chan, I'll defeat him someday!" she said, giving her a thumbs-up. Recca suddenly nodded.

"We'll have a concluding battle…after we win the Urabutousatsujin!" he said, "Be prepared, Fuuko!"

"Er…after we win the Urabutousatsujin?" asked Domon, scratching his head, "But…doesn't that imply that you're _sure_ we'll win? _Can _we win in the first pl – " Domon was knocked back down when Recca and Fuuko's fists connected with his face.

"Of course we can baka!" yelled Recca.

"Yeah! Don't underestimate us, Domon!" exclaimed Fuuko. Yanagi sighed as she glanced at Domon again. Everyone seemed to love punching him...

* * *

The long-haired man had had a silly smile on his face when it had appeared as though what he had said was correct; she _would_ be able to defeat him. Unfortunately for him, it was Recca who had ended up winning – and his master, who had said that Recca _would_ win, ended up smirking at him.

"That's too bad, Raiha," he said, quietly.

"Oh well…it was a decent fight though," said Raiha, shrugging, "If they were on two opposing teams…" He stopped and scratched his head as he heard Recca state that Hokage _would_ win the Urabutousatsujin. "Kurei-sama…your brother's confidence reminds me of yours. It's not too hard to figure out that you're related." He grinned as he felt the glare the masked man was giving him.

"…I am _not_ like him," he growled, dangerously.

"Ahaha, if you say so, Kurei-sama…" said Raiha. Even though the fight was evidently over, the two of them stayed where they were, watching the four members of the Hokage, and listening to what they were saying.

* * *

"I _won't_ let Kurei lay his hands on Hime…" said Recca, suddenly looking serious. "I'd rather _die_ than let him do that…" Yanagi found herself blushing.

"R – Recca-kun…" Fuuko just shook her head, grinning.

"Aw, how cute is that?" she asked, slapping Recca across the back.

"I mean…even though I…I did start to…to think differently of him after…after, well, you know…I'm still not going to forgive him for everything he's done!" said Recca, "He's just a rich bastard who's exactly like his corrupt father! No wonder he ended up with Mori Koran!" Fuuko frowned as she stared at Recca.

"Recca – "

" – Recca-kun, don't say that," said Yanagi, quietly, "Neon-san told us about what he had to go through…surely, surely he can't have been _evil_ all the time?" She paused. "If he _was_ evil…would _anyone_ have liked him? Would Kurenai-san have fallen in love with him?" She flushed, "But then again, that's just _my_ opinion…so it won't necessarily be correct…"

"Hime, you always try to see the good-side in people," said Recca, smiling faintly, "but…there's _no _good side to _him._"

"How can you be sure of that?" Fuuko snapped her mouth shut as she realized what she had just said, and as Recca, Yanagi and Domon (who had just gotten to his feet) stared at her. She fidgeted, uncomfortable with the all this attention. "Uh…I – uh…"

"Fuuko-sama…did you just say…what I _think_ you just said?" Domon was the first to speak. Fuuko flushed.

"Well, it's a purely logical question," she said, defending herself, "I mean, how do we know that there isn't a good side to him? It's not like any of us really _know_ him…" she paused, "We're just…just judging him from what we've seen him do. Is that really fair?" Yanagi's eyes were wide as she stared at her in surprise, before she realized that what she said _was_ true.

"You're right, Fuuko-chan…we shouldn't – "

" – Are you OUT of you FREAKING mind, Fuuko!" asked Recca, somewhat harshly, "How can you ACTUALLY think that Mori Koran's SON has a good side to him?"

"He's not Mori Koran's _biological _son, is he Recca?" asked Fuuko, raising her eyebrows, "His real father died 400 years ago – your father too." She shook her head. "Don't mind me, I'm just babbling about nothing. Seriously; let's just – "

"It's what Neon said, isn't it?" asked Recca, not tearing his gaze away from Fuuko.

"What Neon said?"

"You mean about Kurenai?" questioned Domon. Recca nodded.

"Yeah, it's because of _that_, isn't it Fuuko?" he asked, "After hearing about his tragic life…you've – you actually pity him…don't you?" Fuuko's green eyes widened. _Pity? Well…I thought it was simply curiosity…_

"P-pity?" she stammered, "Why would I pity Kurei?" She sighed inwardly. "Yes, I _was_ surprised by what Neon said – _everyone_ was surprised, but that doesn't mean – "

" – Have you forgotten what he's _doing_ to Hime, Fuuko? Have you forgotten what he's doing to _us?_" interrupted Recca.

"No I haven't. Why are you asking me all of this Recca?"

"Fuuko, you have to understand me here," said Recca, sounding desperate, "That guy…that guy is just a _freak_. I mean, look at his _father_ – "

" – but it's not like he _chose_ Mori to be his father, is it, Recca?" asked Fuuko, not really knowing why she was…intent on speaking about this. "You didn't have a choice in who adopted you, when you came to this world…and neither did he…"

"Fuuko what the hell's wrong with you? Why are you suddenly defending _Kurei!_" yelled Recca, shaking her roughly. Fuuko gritted her teeth, forcing her temper down as she caught sight of the expressions on Yanagi's and Domon's faces. _It's natural for him to be so angry…there's nothing wrong with that…calm down, Fuuko-chan…calm down…_

"…Look, let's not get into a fight over…over Kurei, OK?" she asked, staring at Recca, "We'll just drop the topic and talk about something else…" Fuuko looked at Yanagi and Domon for help, but they were too surprised to give her any. "Uh…let's talk about Mi-chan…" she said, saying the first thing that came into her head, "How do you think _he's_ faring in this tournament?"

* * *

Raiha stared at the scene in surprise, his eyes wide. He looked at his master, who was standing extremely still…and whose posture was rigid as he stared at the four Hokage members.

"Kurei-sama…is this…by any chance, a _plan_ of yours…?" he asked, after a while. Kurei glanced sharply at him.

"A plan?"

"Hai – a plan to have made Neon tell the Hokage about your past…so that they'd pity you…and, well, they'd start fighting amongst themselves…?" Kurei glared icily at his right-hand man.

"No, Raiha, I would _never_ plan something like that," he said, "You of all people should know that." Raiha bowed his head, apologetically.

"Gomen, Kurei-sama, it was my mistake…" he said. Kurei stared at the people arguing before him, glad of his mask once again. _Why? Why is…why is she doing this? Why is she…defending me with her friends? Why doesn't she just agree with Recca? _He shook his head slowly. _No, she's not defending me…she's…she's up to something._ He nodded inwardly. _That's right, she's up to something…just pretending to…to think differently from her friends…_ _She's just a stupid Hokage after all, and I'm glad that I have nothing to do with her. _

_Really? If that's the case…why do you still have her handkerchief on your hand?_

Scowling, Kurei spun on his heel, his sudden action surprising Raiha. "We're going," he said curtly, before walking away. Wondering what had happened to make his master change so suddenly Raiha sneaked a last glance at the Hokage members, before following him.

* * *

As Fuuko took the longer route back to the apartment that they stayed in, having to walk past the Uruha mansion on her way, her mind was in turmoil – but it was a different kind of turmoil this time. She couldn't believe that she had said what she did, back then when she was with Recca, Yanagi and Domon.

She smiled sadly. _I wonder what Yanagi-chan thinks of me now…defending the man who was doing all of this to her…_ She shook her head as another thought popped into her head. _But…who knows whether he's just doing all of this to her because he doesn't want Mori to detonate the bomb inside the mysterious person that he seems to care about?_

She straightened from her slumped posture, and took a deep breath – and immediately grimaced as she clutched at her chest. _What the hell? What's wrong with now?_ It was then that she remembered; two of Nadare's fireballs had managed to hit her; on her chest and in her gut. She clutched at her chest as a burning sensation crept around her body.

_What the – _She swayed dangerously, causing her to stop walking. What was going on? Why was she…feeling faint all of a sudden? Why…was everything getting dim…? Why was…

Her eyes closed just as she hit the ground.

* * *

Joker was humming to himself as he and Kai headed towards the Uruha mansion, having witnessed Uruha Ma fight in the match they had before they would _really_ qualify to face the Hokage. Everyone had known before hand that they would win anyway. On their way back to the mansion, he had attempted to strike up a conversation with his companion, but all he had received were one word answers…and he had gotten Kai's point, which was why he was now humming to himself.

_Heh…Hokage, if you can defeat Uruha-Ma…you will be great indeed…_

He looked up, surprised, when he saw Kai stop walking abruptly. "Kai-han?" Kai nodded at something ahead of them. Looking ahead, Joker noticed the figure lying down on the side of the road. _Hmm…must've fainted…_ Stopping his humming, he walked towards the figure. Seeing that it was a girl, he turned her over so that he could see her face. His eyes widened underneath his hat. "Fuuko-han…?"

"Who is it?" asked Kai, stopping beside him. "Isn't that…Hokage's Kirisawa Fuuko?" Joker nodded, frowning. What was _she_ doing out here? Had she gone to the mansion? He shook his head; he doubted whether she'd do that. Besides, even if she _did_ do that, the guards would have seen her and stopped her.

"I wonder what happened to her…" he said, aloud. Kai shrugged.

"Probably over-exerted herself or something," he said, "Come on, let's get going…" Joker glanced at his companion silently.

"Kai-han, we can't keep her out here," he said, "Who knows _what_ will happen to her…?"

"Why should we care? She's part of the Hokage – our sworn enemies," said Kai. Joker nodded.

"Yes, but we want to be able to _face_ them in the finals, don't we?" he asked, "Besides, she's a _girl_; how can you feel good about leaving an unconscious girl out here? You saw what Fujimaru did to her in the first round, didn't you? What if _someone_ else decides to take advantage of her?"

"You're…are you _serious?_" asked Kai, raising his eyebrows at the taller man. Joker nodded.

"Yes," he said, "Besides, our main battle is with Recca-han…and it's _inside the ring_, not outside."

"So what do you want to do?" asked Kai, "Take her back to the Hokage?"

"Yep!" said Joker, grinning, "Kai-han's really good at reading minds, ne?"

"Think about this for a moment, Joker; we're this close to the end of the tournament and everyone knows that we will probably face Hokage in the final – and that they are our strongest opponent," said Kai, "If we take back an unconscious member of the Hokage back to their apartment, what do you think _they'll_ think?"

"Uh…" Joker cocked his head to a side, "That we're really nice people!" Kai sweat-dropped. _Kurei-sama, is this guy REALLY fit to be in a position as serious as the Jyushinshuu!_

"No you idiot!" he said, before he could stop himself, "They'll think _we_ attacked her, trying to incapacitate her." Joker looked surprise.

"But, we wouldn't do that," he said, "Would we?"

"No, we probably wouldn't," said Kai, exasperatedly, "but people think we're cruel and evil as it is…so there's no stopping what they'll say." Joker was silent for a moment, before he nodded.

"OK!" he said, cheerily. Kai stared as the taller man handed him the trident he carried around. "Please be careful with that, Kai-han! I wouldn't be too happy if you were to run off and leave me without my precious trident!" He grinned. "Present for you!"

_Present for you? What the hell? _"W-what are you doing…?" asked Kai, taking the trident all the same. He watched as Joker picked the unconscious girl in his arms and stood up. "Joker, I thought we discussed that we couldn't take her back to the Hokage."

"Aa, we did," said Joker, smiling, "We're not taking her there, we're taking her…with us…"

"With _us?_ To – to the mansion?" spluttered Kai. Joker nodded, cheerfully, as he continued walking.

"Hai!" he said, "Now, hurry up Kai-han, and bring my trident with you. If Fuuko-han were to wake up now and see us, or rather, see me carrying her, I'd be dead meat!" He chuckled, "She'd think I was a pervert or something…" Kai stared in shock as the cheerful man carried on walking; the unconscious Fuujin-Wielder of the Hokage nestled in his arms.

_That idiot…what does he think he's doing? Kurei-sama won't be pleased with him at all! Honestly, bringing a Hokage member to the Uruha mansion! _Realizing that he had no choice, Kai followed him.

* * *

**A/N**

Oohh, Fuuko gets taken to the mansion, does she? Heh heh, I wonder what'll happen there! Will she be kicked out the moment she is found there? Or…will she – uh, never mind. You'll find out soon enough!

Heh, I don't know how long the Hokage had from the time they faced Uruha Oto to the time they faced Uruha Ma, so I just made it up (I hope no one minds that too much!) Oh, and I know that Fuuko and Recca never had that fight, but…I was interested in who _would_ probably win if Recca and Fuuko just fought each other (not as enemies though) using the flame dragons and the Fuujin. Of course, at this point in time, when I made them fight neither of them had _really_ tapped into the energy of their natural ability/madougu…but imagine if they _did_ fight when Fuuko had the Fuujin's main orb, and when Recca had all of his fire-dragons to help him?

Heheh, just ignore me…I think I'm rambling! Well, that's all for now! I hope you enjoyed this!

See ya soon!

Siriusgirl1


	4. Trespassing?

**A/N**

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!

Hmm…I'm afraid I've changed my mind. The more I type, the more I realize that I want this fic to be a pairing fic. Hopefully…I'll write it well! Heh, well, on with Chapter four! Hope you enjoy it!

* * *

**Chapter Four: Trespassing?**

Kurei was walking down one of the long, dark corridors in the Uruha mansion, the mask on his face hiding his thoughtful expression. Out of instinct, he looked down at his left hand, the thoughtful expression turning into a frown. If he were to call out his flame-powers now…people would be surprised. Yes, Kurenai would come out as the winged-angel of flame…but she would be followed by another; a tall, well-built, extremely loyal man.

_Did I do the right thing, Kurenai? Should I have left him like that, with his soul intact in his broken body? Did I violate the trust he had in me by absorbing his soul?_

He had grown accustomed to not receiving answers to his questions; at least to not receiving answers from _Kurenai. _It was true that her presence within him, as his main source of power, was comforting, but…that was about the only thing that she was able to do – to come out when he summoned her and to protect him. He was not ruing the fact that he had absorbed her into his flame…but every time he saw her in front of him, protecting him, he felt a sharp, bitter pang somewhere in his chest. It was probably in his heart…but he liked to think that he _didn't_ have a heart. Whether or not that was true he didn't know, but he _had_ to at least _act_ that way, unless he wanted…his father to do something terrible.

_Kurenai…you promised that you would always be by my side…and you are…but…why did it have to be like this? Why couldn't you be alive? Like…like everyone else here? Why did you leave me…?_

* * *

"Are you OUT of your MIND!"

"Oi Neon-han…you should have pursued a career in singing," said the tall, dark-haired man who was standing in front of the orange-haired woman – the only person who wasn't affected by her shriek. "With that lovely soprano voice of yours, you could've – "

" – _Why_ in _god's_ name did you even _think_ of doing such a thing!" interrupted Neon, breathing heavily as she stared at him, "Joker! Look at me! She's – she's a member of the _Hokage…_you know, the team _we_ are supposed to eradicate?"

"Yeah, yeah, I heard the same thing from Kai-han earlier," said Joker, waving his hand dismissively, "But what did you expect me to do? Leave an unconscious, defenseless girl out there? All alone?" He smirked as he saw Neon open and close her mouth, resembling…a fish out of water. He told her that too, and had to duck as a small, round ornament that had been on one of the tables in the room was flung at him – with deadly intent.

"Fine, I…I understand _that_, but…why bring her _here?_" asked Neon, calming down, "Surely you could have…taken her back?"

"Kai-han told me that it would look bad if I, a member of the Uruha, were to take her back to them, unconscious," replied Joker, promptly. He sighed dramatically. "Aw, come on Neon-han, it won't be _that_ bad. She'll just stay here until she wakes up, and then head back to where her friend's are…and face Uruha Ma the day after tomorrow."

"Uruha Ma…oh, that's right, the semi-finals are – " Neon stopped as her blue-eyes widened. "You _idiot!_ When they find out that she's been _here_ all this time, they're going to think that we _purposely_ abducted her in an attempt to make her miss the semi-finals the day after tomorrow – or tomorrow, seeing as how it's almost 12:00 a.m.!"

"Neon-han, _must_ we go through all of this again?" he asked, "If you insist; she was unconscious, the street was deserted, there was a risk of being attacked and – "

Neon shook her head. "Joker is your _goal_ in life to irritate Kurei-sama?" she asked, interrupting him. An offended expression found itself on Joker's face.

"Oi oi, Neon-han! That _hurt_," he said, sounding offended too, "I _never_ irritate Kurei-han…even though he may not admit it he is _extremely_ amused with my antics." A grin formed on his face, "It takes his mind off things happening around him…and he's grateful for that." His grin widened as he stared at Neon. "He even _shows_ me his gratitude…late at night, when no-one's around…when the two of us – "

" – JOKER!" Laughing, he turned around and made a fast exit out of the room as Neon started looking around for something else to throw at him – something else that would inflict the maximum amount of damage possible.

* * *

Kagero stared at her son, her arms crossed across her chest and a rare frown on her face (rare because it was directed at her son, and not at any one else). "Well?" she asked, her voice stern.

Her son hung his head, his bangs covering his troubled eyes as he thought about what was going on. _Dammit…I should have realized that something was wrong when she didn't come back earlier… _

"Recca, its 11:40 and she isn't back yet," said Kagero, her voice still stern, "Do you have any idea where she might be?"

"Kachan, I told you, I haven't seen her since we had that training session in the morning," said Recca, "And…and I just thought that she went for a walk or something…that's why I was positive that she'd return…"

"Gone for a walk…? Must've been a _really_ long walk," said Mikagami, as he entered through the front door, "By the way, don't you know that you're supposed to _lock_ the front door? Especially at this time at night? Who knows _who_ might saunter in, unhindered?"

"Mikagami-sempai!" exclaimed Yanagi, standing up hurriedly, "Did you find her?" Mikagami's expression softened as he turned to the worried girl. He shook his head slowly.

"No," he said, "There was no sign of her. I even asked the referees and they said they hadn't seen her at all." He turned to Recca, "Are you _sure_ you checked the whole park and everything else?" Recca nodded.

"Yes," he mumbled, "And no-one had seen her – at least not since the morning when she was apparently in the park with you…" Mikagami frowned.

"Do you have any idea where _else_ she may be?" he asked, looking at Recca again.

"No!" half-yelled Recca, "I don't! Why is everyone asking _me_ that?" Mikagami raised his eyebrows.

"Because…you're the one who knows her best," he said, simply, "And because – " He was interrupted when the door burst open again, this time revealing a worried Koganei and a frustrated Domon – who slammed the door shut, behind him, causing Yanagi and Kagero to wince.

"No-one at the dome has seen her," said Koganei, hurriedly, "Saicho said he'd be keeping an eye out for her, but so far, no one's seen her…"

"And I even checked the forest, but there was no sign of her at _all_," growled Domon, angrily punching his open palm with his fist, "Where could she be?"

Mikagami, who had been listening to Koganei and Domon, turned to Kagero as a sudden thought struck him. "Kagero-san…" he said, slowly, do you have your madougu with you?" Kagero smiled inwardly, knowing what the Ensui-wielder was going to suggest. _You aren't the brains of this team for nothing, Mikagami-kun…_

She nodded, "Yes, I do," she said, "But the Eikai Gyoku doesn't seem to work here…" She lowered her eyes, downcast, "It _was _working before…but there seems to be something blocking its power…" she frowned. "It's like some kind of…psychic barrier…"

"Psychic barrier?" asked Mikagami, ignoring the lost looks that Recca, Domon and Koganei were shooting him and Kagero, "But…who - ?" Kagero shook her head.

"I don't know…" she said, "I _have_ been trying to locate Fuuko-chan, but I don't seem to be able to…" It was Yanagi who broke the unsettling silence that had settled amongst them.

"Then…what we do, Kagero-san? Mikagami-sempai?" she asked, quietly. Kagero straightened, making up her mind in a split second.

"I think…that everyone should go out together, and look around at least once more," she said, "Just in case…you've missed something. Start with where Fuuko was seen first, to where she was seen last…"

Recca frowned, "Well no-one's seen Fuuko after we had that training session, so that would be the last place to check," he said. Mikagami nodded.

"And from what you said earlier, I saw her in the park before that," he added.

"In any case, I'd say to go and look around the park," said Kagero, "And…see if you can find anything at all. Come on, let's – " She stopped when Recca stopped her, shaking his head.

"No, Kachan, you have to stay here," he said, nodding at the apartment. " – If Fuuko _does_ come back here, it won't do for her to find this place empty; she'll freak out and go looking for us, and we'd all get lost again," continued Recca, seriously. "You stay here with Hime and – "

" – No," said Yanagi, shaking her head, "I'm coming with you. I want to help find her."

"Hime, I know you do, but still…it's too dangerous – just look at the time…" said Recca, "It'd be best if you – "

"Yanagi-chan, Recca's right," interrupted Kagero, understanding Recca's reason for wanting to keep the two of them inside, away from harm. "Besides, if Fuuko's injured, then…it would be nice if you could heal her…" That stopped Yanagi's argument in mid-sentence. Recca flashed his mother a grateful grin, before turning to the others.

"Come on guys; we've got to get Fuuko!" he said, regaining some of his high-spirits.

"Yeah! Fuuko-sama will have her Prince Domon coming to her rescue!"

"That monkey _sure_ knows how to cause us trouble…" Koganei flashed Kagero and Yanagi a grin, before running after the others, slamming the door behind him.

Kagero made her way towards the empty couch and sank down on it, letting out a weary sigh as she did so.

"I hope she's OK…" whispered Yanagi. Digging her madougu out of her robe, Kagero stared hard at it, before closing her eyes, concentrating on the Fuujin-Wielder. Two minutes later, she opened them only to see a hazy mist inside the Eikai Gyoku. She bit back a frustrated moan. That was the same hazy mist she had been seeing when she had tried using the madougu before.

"I wonder though," she said, quietly, "Who created the psychic barrier in the first place…and, more importantly, _why_?"

* * *

'_Your Uruha had better succeed in getting that girl of healing. If they fail to do so…you know what will happen…' _

'_I guess that Kirisawa Fuuko is the coward here, not willing to come out and fight…' _Fuuko stirred, unconsciously, her body twitching under the thick blanket that was covering her.

'_All I know is that he's basically an evil, corrupt guy who shouldn't be allowed to live any longer…'_

'_I'm warning you, if you tell anyone about what you saw in the forest that day…you will regret it, understand…?'_

'_Why do you care? Would it be a nice story to talk about with your friends?'_ She let out a soft moan before turning to her side and curling up in a ball.

'_Why are you so concerned…?' _Even more restless than before, she turned so she was lying down on her stomach and buried her face in the comfortable pillow her head was resting on.

'_How do you expect to face Kurei in this condition? Do you think he'd take pity on you just because you're a girl?'_

'_Recca-kun, if he was evil…would anyone have liked him? Would Kurenai-san have fallen in love with him…?'_

'_Fuuko what the HELL is wrong with you? Why are you suddenly defending Kurei? He's a FREAK!'_ Fuuko opened her eyes with a start, feeling as though someone had actually shouted the word 'freak' in her ear. She blinked suddenly, finding that she suddenly couldn't breathe. Even though she was still somewhat half-asleep, she realized why she felt this way and immediately turned over so that she was lying on her back, with her face given plenty of room to breathe as opposed to being suffocated by the pillow she had been sleeping on.

Blinking the sleep out of her eyes, she allowed them to focus on the ceiling…the nice-looking, wooden ceiling. Bored of the ceiling, she turned her neck to her left and winced when she felt the previously subdued pain shoot through it once more.

"Itai…" she moaned, raising her hand and attempting to massage it, only making it worse. Two things struck her at once; the large windows that practically covered the wall, leading out into some kind of balcony…and the absence of the other bed that they had in the room.

She propped herself up on her elbows and looked around the room properly, her fatigue forgotten. This…wasn't the room she was used to…The furniture in the room was wrong – with an elegant writing desk in one corner, a large, wardrobe next to it, a…four-poster bed…

_I never slept on a four-poster bed in the apartment! What on earth - ?_

Glancing at the large windows and taking in the pitch darkness outside, she could more or less guess that it was nighttime – probably in the middle of the night even. But if she wasn't in the apartment that the Hokage were staying in…where was she? It was then that she felt a sharp pain in her chest, causing her to clutch at it. "What the heck is going on? Why do I hurt so – " _Nadare! I…Recca and I had a training session and I was hit by Nadare…_

"Che, Recca, that Nadare sure is – " Fuuko's green eyes widened when a rather alarming thought hit her. She…she hadn't gone back to the apartment last night…had she…? She remembered heading towards the apartment after her training session with Recca…and – "Shit. I collapsed."

She hurriedly threw off the bed-covers and got off the bed, not too surprised to see her sneakers by the side. Quickly putting them on, she stood up and thought for a moment, before crossing the room to the writing desk. She steeled herself as her chest and gut started hurting, and, upon reaching the desk, looked on it for anything that would help her figure out where she was. Unfortunately for her, there was nothing on the desk.

She frowned. _Great Fuuko-chan…this is really great. You've been out for god knows long…and you wake up to find yourself somewhere you don't know…_ Her eyes fell on the large, wooden-door to her side – the exit. She bit her lip for a while, wondering whether she _should_ walk out. Who knew what she'd stumble upon in the first place?

She grinned as she touched her Fuujin. Since when has _Kirisawa Fuuko _been scared about what she'd stumble upon? Confidence rising inside her, she headed towards the door. _Let's see what this place is…and more importantly, where it is…_

* * *

Kurei looked up when he sensed the presence of one of the maids outside the large doors. "Come in," he said, curtly, as he heard the faint knocking. He heard the doors being opened but didn't bother to look up as the young, long-haired maid entered.

"Your tea, Kurei-sama…" said the black-haired girl, curtsying as she placed the tray on the low table that was close to the plush, comfortable arm-chair he was sitting on. He nodded.

"Hnn," was all he said, as he waited for the maid to leave. He looked up with a small frown on his face when she didn't. "What?"

"Uh, I was wondering whether you wanted anything else, Kurei-sama…" said the maid, flustered. This _was_ the first time she had seen the masked man without his mask…and the scar on the left side of his face made her squirm.

"No." Curtsying again, the maid took her leave, closing the library doors behind her. Putting aside the book he had on his lap, he leaned forward and, pulling the single tea-cup closer to him, poured out some of the hot tea into it, adding two tea-spoons of sugar afterwards and stirring it well. Testing the tea, he winced and put it back down at once – it was too hot for him to drink.

Glancing ahead of him, his gaze rested on the large windows that were right in front of him. Even though the sky outside was dark, he could see a few specks of glimmering light – from the stars. The library itself was dark, save for the steady light that the lamp on an ornately carved table beside him emitted, just enough for him to read without straining his eyes, and not too bright to light up the whole room.

The library in the mansion had always fascinated him, ever since he had been a kid. The tapering shelves of books of numerous genres and widths had somehow captured his attention…It might have been the nostalgic smell of age that the books carried with them…or it might have been the quietness of the room – with its large doors shut, you couldn't hear _anything_ that happened outside…unless it was really loud – but he had been fascinated by the room from the very beginning. It was like being in a separate world altogether…and it helped that he liked reading.

He frowned as an unpleasant topic popped into his mind. Namely about the prospect of traitors in _his_ Uruha…and the conversation he had had with Raiha earlier, regarding the traitors. It was difficult to figure out _every_ single traitor…but it was even more difficult figuring out who was loyal to him. It was easy to say that Raiha…Neon and even Joker were loyal to him, along with Kai and Noroi…but, at the moment, out of his Jyushinshuu, they were the only ones he was sure of. And there were others that he didn't know about.

He shook his head lightly. It wasn't often that he had the chance to spend a relaxing, peaceful night in the library…he shouldn't spoil everything by dwelling on such dark topics. Letting out a deep breath, he lifted his hand and brushed strands of black-hair out of his eyes…something he tended to do when he was unsure of something or the other. As he lowered his hand, he caught sight of the white cloth that was wrapped around it…the white _handkerchief_, rather.

_Kirisawa Fuuko…_

Before he could do anything to stop them, thoughts and events concerning the Hokage's Fuujin-Wielder struck him, as. He couldn't remember much of what happened in the forest – concerning her…but he remembered the look on her face when he had confronted her the next day, threatening her. He remembered the sour expression on her face when he had asked her whether she just wanted to talk about him and his past with her friends. Despite all of his threats, she had _still_ wanted to know why he did it; why he called that man Chichiue…and why he listened to what he said.

It was hard to believe that people could afford to be naive – she had said that if it was _her_ she wouldn't have called such a man 'father.' A small, rueful smile formed on his face. If only she knew _why_ he still called him 'father.' The smile disappeared off his face as he remembered something she had said. She _had_ asked him whether he was doing what he was because there was someone else around with a bomb inside them. Judging by the company she kept, he was surprised at her sharpness at picking things up. He smirked; _It must be Mikagami's influence…I doubt whether Recca or anyone else would have influenced her in this way…_

Again, the smirk disappeared off his face as he thought back to what he _and_ Raiha had heard her tell Recca earlier that morning, when the two of them had had a training-session/fight. _'We're just judging him from what we've seen him do…is that really fair?'_ She had even gone to the extent of saying that he had a good-side to him…_When no-one else even thought about such a thing before…_

It surprised him that a previously normal high-school girl could manage to hold herself together enough to take part in a tournament as brutal as the Urabutousatsujin. Yes, she had only had one match so far…and it hadn't been too impressive, with Fujimaru of Team Kuu attempting to strip her of her clothes…but even then, she managed to stay as calm as possible, before punching the lights out of the pervert.

The smile returned to his face as he remembered that particular scene; the girl in the ring, reduced to her underwear…towering over a cowering Fujimaru. As he had watched the match with Raiha – whose face had turned an odd colour of magenta – he remembered the spark of admiration that had been created in him. Most females, he knew – with the exception of the Uruha females who wouldn't have cared even if they were stark naked in the ring as long as they won – would have crumbled when their clothes were repeatedly sliced off. But not her…oh _no_.

After witnessing her fight with Recca earlier in the morning, he couldn't help but wonder whether her match in the next round would be interesting. Yes, she _hadn't_ managed to defeat Recca, but she had been very close to winning, not to mention that she had showed Recca how dangerous it could be to face someone who had observed his attacks quite well – Mikagami would probably have been able to defeat Recca in a training-session/fight, given the fact that he was the most observant of the whole Hokage…save for Kagero, perhaps.

* * *

The two individuals stared; they couldn't really help it. " – _Joker_," said Neon, forcing her voice to sound calm, "_Where_ is she?" Joker scratched his head, looking lost.

"I have no idea, Neon-han," he said, sounding surprised, "But I swear, I left her here. Ask Kai-han if you don't believe me; I brought her here, took her shoes off and tucked her in." He glanced at the side of the bed and noticed the missing shoes. "Oi…her shoes are missing…maybe she's gone exploring…?"

"If she's _wandering_ around the mansion," said Neon, sounding _too_ calm, "…Isn't there a _great_ chance of her running into…Kurei-sama?"

Joker cocked his head to a side before nodding. "Hai there _is_ a surprisingly great chance of that!" Neon scowled.

"And what do you think will happen to her when she runs into him and he attempts to _fry_ her for trespassing!" she half-yelled. Joker blinked rapidly – well, you couldn't _see_ him blink, but you could _sense_ that he did.

"Aa…I didn't think of that," he admitted, scratching his head, "Maybe she'll tell him the truth – that she doesn't know how she's here – and he'll believe her?"

Neon snorted, "And perhaps he'd then be _so_ kind as to offer to walk her back to the apartment…" she muttered. She sighed, not exploding on Joker for a change – something that surprised the tall man. "I don't care much for the Hokage or for her, but I think we should go and find her," she said, resignedly, "Especially before she bumps into someone _else_…someone who's not as…nice as we are…"

She turned around and headed towards the door. "Come on, let's go and look for her. If you find her, just bring her back to the room, OK? Do you have a problem?" asked Neon, acidly, as she saw Joker open his mouth as though to protest.

"Well…if I _had_ one, I've forgotten about it now," said Joker, as she narrowed her eyes in his direction, "Come on Neon-han…time to start Operation; Rescue Fuuko-han!"

Neon fought the urge to moan. _Kurei-sama…WHY did you let him join the Uruha? Much less the Jyushinshuu?_

* * *

Kurei glanced around the room absently and his eyes fell on the book that he had been reading, before _certain_ thoughts had plagued him. As he continued to gaze at the book, everything he had been thinking about disappeared from his mind, causing him to reach out for the paper-backed edition. Testing his tea and finding it perfect, he sipped it for a while, before putting the teacup down and picking up the book in his hands.

It was a novel by the author Louis deBernieres, titled _Captain Corelli's Mandolin._ He had never read this particular novel before, but Joker had lent it to him, highly recommending it. At first, he hadn't been sure whether he wanted to read it or not – especially given the fact that he didn't _really_ trust Joker's taste in books – but he had finally decided to give it a try, and was pretty surprised to find that it was good. It was set during the time-period of World War II, and it mainly focused on the effects the war had on the island of Cephallonia, a Greek island.

The Italians and the Germans invaded Cephallonia one after the other, although the Italians weren't really quite sure _why_ they did so. It took some time, but eventually, the resilient islanders grew somewhat _fond_ of the Italians…although the Germans were a different story. What surprised him…was that the main female character – a young, intelligent, beautiful Greek woman – fell in love with an Italian _Captain_…who was a part of the army that was invading her homeland. They were afraid of their love for each other, as they knew that the people around them – society – would not approve of it; he was_ invading_ her homeland and _she_ was a part of the people _he_ was supposed to oppress.

He hadn't finished the book yet – he _rarely_ got time to read peacefully – but it intrigued him that the woman had fallen in love with the _enemy._ He could _not_ fathom how such a thing was possible. Why would they fall for the enemy? Did they not have their ideals? Did they not mind what each was doing to the other? It was like…someone from the Hokage…falling in love with someone from the Uruha…and vice-versa.

He shuddered; there was _no_ chance that such a thing would happen. Recca was already in love with the girl of healing…and it was quite clear that Mikagami was too…and that he wouldn't really love anyone else in the Uruha. Ishijima Domon was obviously in love with the Fuujin-Wielder…and he doubted whether Kagero was in love with anyone else. Koganei…well, he was still young…and that left…the Fuujin-Wielder herself. _Now that's an interesting thought. I wonder…_

Frowning once more, he shook the thought away from his head. He was _not_ going to dwell more on the Hokage, dammit. Taking another few sips of his now somewhat cold tea, he leaned back in the plush armchair and started reading from where he had left off.

* * *

She passed by the corridor aligned with portraits of scary looking people, making faces at them as she did so. It wasn't that she disrespected them…but they just looked _so_ weird…especially in the mediocre amount of light in the corridor, and all over the place at this time at night…or maybe it was already the next day – she didn't know.

As she headed towards the staircase she had spotted, she walked past an opened window. The cool breeze that blew in through it made her stop and walk towards it. Looking out, she could only see a few blobs of light in the distance…the rest was darkness – and trees from the looks of the silhouettes. Lifting her gaze to the sky, she smiled to herself as she saw the mere handful of twinkling stars.

She couldn't help but grin; her situation was something like that of a girl in a fairy-tale or something like that. She had passed out, and woken up to find herself in some place she didn't know – but from the looks of it, it was an elegant place…and now, she was peering out into the night through an opened window whose light curtains were fluttering in the breeze…

All that was missing _now_ was for a tall, handsome male to come up behind her, startling her while flashing a genuine smile that displayed practically all of his pearly-whites. Her grin widened. Yanagi should have been the one in this situation – she was the more romantic type, not _her_…

The sound of footsteps nearing her wiped the grin off her face, and she whirled around, alert. She didn't know why, but something told her that even though she honestly didn't know how she had ended up where she was, it wouldn't be _too_ good to be caught by someone she didn't know. Frowning, she looked around her and noticed a fairly large statue of some woman – or rather, it was a Greek goddess. Guessing that it would do, she snuck behind it, grateful for the fact that the statue was big enough.

She did her best to stifle a gasp when she saw a cloaked figure stop walking and turn his head in the direction of the window…and the statue. She recognized that cloaked man…with the strange looking mask. _Magensha…? Heh, well, so much for thinking that a tall handsome male should come up behind me…Fuuko-chan no baka._

The slight amusement that she felt disappeared when she saw that Magensha hadn't moved – he was still staring in her direction. _Magensha…shit! This...this place…what IS this place? Why the hell is MAGENSHA here?_ She didn't have time to think about it any longer as Magensha started walking towards her. She stiffened; she could _really_ feel his powerful aura.

"…What's this…?" Her face paled when she heard the leader of Uruha Ma speak. "Since when has Athena worn…sneakers?" Fuuko sweat-dropped as she looked down at her shoes. _Damn…_ "Why don't you just come out, whoever you are?" Weighing her chances, Fuuko decided that it would probably be best for her to make a quick getaway. Magensha didn't seem to know who she was at the moment…so she had a slight advantage. If she could just…get away in time…

Taking a deep breath, she raised her arm and shot blades of wind at him. "Fuujin _Kamaitachi!_" She winced as the statue of the goddess was blasted into separate pieces, mentally apologizing to it.

"What the – " Taking advantage of his momentary surprise, Fuuko dodged out from the corner, behind the now ruined statue, and dashed down the corridor, heading towards the staircase she had seen a while ago. " – You're – Hokage's…Kirisawa Fuuko!" she heard Magensha exclaim, but paid no heed to him as she reached the stairs. "What are you doing here! Stop right there!" She took the steps two at a time, her heart thumping in her chest. She could clearly remember what had happened to Jisho, and she sure as hell wasn't going to let that happen to her.

Jumping down the last two steps, she paused for a brief moment and looked to her left and then to her right. The landing looked pretty much the same as the one she had just left. Forgetting about being picky, she ran to her left, hoping she _was_ getting far away from Magensha, when he suddenly appeared right in front of her. She let out a yelp, before skidding to a halt and running in the opposite direction. Turning the corner, she spotted a set of double-doors. Without pausing to think of anything else, she pushed against the doors. She _had_ to get inside…

* * *

Kurei, deeply engrossed in the book he was reading, looked up when he heard a yelp. Mentally taking note of the page he had stopped at, he honed his senses, trying to figure out where the yelp had come from. It was _then_ that he heard it; someone was pushing against the library doors…earnestly too. And what was even more surprising, was that he couldn't recognize the life-force of whoever it was. He stood up, ready to go forward and wrench the door open, when he felt Magensha's life-force nearby, and stopped.

_Magensha's here? What's going on?_ Being no fool, he _had_ been suspicious of where Magensha's true loyalty laid. Thus, he wasn't ready to just sit around and wait as he approached him. Frowning, he stepped into the shadows, half-sheltered by one of the many book-shelves in the library, curious to see what Magensha wanted. Whatever it was, he was sure it wasn't to read one of the books in the room.

* * *

Fuuko rushed into the room, and pushed the door shut behind her. Breathing heavily and knowing that Magensha would open the door soon, she looked around the room, trying to figure out where she was. Ignoring the protests of her sore neck and her heaving chest, she took a few steps forward, rather thankful that the room was dark. She saw various shapes…that looked like shelves, and guessed that the room was a library. The only light that streamed into the room was from a small lamp somewhere in the distance – and it only lighted the area it was in.

Hearing something push against the door, she let her body take control of her mind, and ran towards one of the shelves on the side. Since it was dark, she had a better chance of hiding from Magensha…unless of course, he knew where the light switches were…and switched them on. Keeping her eyes on the door, she moved backwards, thinking of seeking shelter behind perhaps the third or fourth shelf, instead of the first, when she knocked into something. Or rather, some_one_.

She opened her mouth but whatever she had been about to say was cut off when a hand slipped over her mouth, and when she was pulled backwards and pushed on to the ground, with an arm – ironically the one with the Fuujin on it – twisted behind her. _What the hell - ?_

* * *

"Kirisawa Fuuko…" called Magensha, as he entered the library, "I know you're in here…" He listened intently for anything out of the ordinary, but heard nothing. "You can't hide from _me_, Fuuko…so why not make things easier for the two of us?" He turned sharply to his right when he sensed a different presence in the room.

His stiffened when he heard the familiar deep voice. "What do you want, Magensha?"

"Kurei-sama…" he said, bowing his head slightly, "Forgive me if I'm disturbing you…but, I'm afraid we have an intruder in the mansion. Hokage's Kirisawa Fuuko's somehow managed to get inside. Kurei smirked from his place behind the bookshelf.

"Is that so…" he murmured, applying force on the arm that he was twisting, and pressing his knee on the Fuujin-wielder's back. "And why are you here…?"

"She came inside here, Kurei-sama. We should find her, don't you think…?" asked Magensha.

"If she's in here, she'll eventually have to come out," answered Kurei, "It doesn't matter…you may go."

"But – Kurei-sama – "

" – Do you think that I cannot deal with someone as inexperienced as that, Magensha?" interrupted Kurei, coldly. He sensed the flicker in Magensha's life-force.

"N-no, of course not Kurei-sama…" He bowed his head again, not knowing where exactly his master was. "If…if you're sure about this…I'll…leave.."

Kurei nodded. "Yes," he said, "And train hard for your match against the Hokage. It shouldn't be _too_ hard to get rid of them." He applied more pressure onto the Fuujin-wielder's back as she squirmed around, clearly not agreeing with his comment. Unfortunately for her, the hand he had clamped over her mouth prevented her from saying anything.

"As you wish, Kurei-sama." Kurei listened carefully until he heard the sound of the door being closed…and until he felt Magensha's life-force fade away.

"………" he released the girl when she bit his hand, and stood up abruptly, glaring down at her. He watched her silhouette as she stood up, breathing heavily. Leaving her for a second, he moved forward until he reached the nearest light-switch. He flicked it on, satisfied to see that only the nearest light to him was switched on – the light that hung on the ceiling above him.

He turned back and looked at the Hokage fighter…his eyes narrowed. Fuuko, sensing someone's eyes on her, looked up, still massaging her arm. Her own eyes narrowed when she saw him.

"What?" she asked, rudely. Kurei raised his eyebrows at her as he took a few steps forward.

"It won't do to be rude, Fuuko," he said, calmly, "Especially when you're guilty of trespassing." Fuuko's green eyes widened even more and she stopped massaging her arm.

"T – Trespassing…?" she stammered. It all hit her then. _Of course! Why else would Magensha be here? And why else would…would HE be here? _"So…this…this is the Uruha mansion?"

Kurei nodded lazily, "Yes," he said, before his voice turned cold, "Care to tell me what _you're_ doing here?" Fuuko opened her mouth to give him a witty response, but quickly closed it, realizing that she didn't _have_ a witty reply. Not to mention that it probably wasn't _wise_ to give him a witty reply.

"I – well…uh…that's to say…erm – " She tried to duck but failed as he reached forward and gripped her neck again, the expression on his unmasked face dangerous.

"_What_ are you doing here?" he hissed, "Were you sent to spy on me?" He was taken aback when Fuuko, for the lack of any other means of brushing him away, dug her nails into his hand – that was gripping her neck – and attempted to kick him…well, somewhere where it _would_ have hurt. He loosened his grip on her neck as he moved to avoid her kick.

"My neck's _still_ sore after what you and – and Neon did to it…so can you _please_ stop targeting it?" asked Fuuko, looking directly into his deep-blue eyes. As he looked into her green orbs, he saw the defiance in them…along with honesty. Shrugging, he released his grip on her neck, pushing her roughly backwards as he did so. As Fuuko steadied herself, he didn't miss the way she grimaced and clutched hurried at her chest.

He didn't take his gaze away from her. "_Well?_" Fuuko looked up with a scowl on her face.

"For _god's_ sake, I'm _not _trespassing," she said, standing up straight, "Or rather…I didn't _know_ I was trespassing…" She glared at him. "_If_ you MUST know how I ended up here, I was walking back to the apartment that the Hokage stays in – taking the _longer_ route back because I wanted to think about something – when I collapsed." She placed her hands on her hips, "And the _next_ thing _I_ know what I wake up, is that I'm in this _freaky_ place with even _freakier_ people!"

Kurei raised his eyebrows. _Even freakier people?_ "……………"

"So, would _you_ care to explain to _me_ how _I_ ended up _here?_" asked Fuuko, staring defiantly at him.

"You expect _me_ to believe that story of yours…?"

"Story of mine - ?" Fuuko's green eyes narrowed again. "Are you – implying that…I'm _lying_?"

"To put it simply, yes."

"…W-why you…" Fuuko's voice trailed off as she was unable to think of a suitable word with which to describe him. "_Look,_ don't you think that I have _better_ things to do than sneak into the weird-ass mansion?" She sighed heavily, "Besides, if I _had_ snuck in, wouldn't one of your _guards_ have detected my presence and then kicked me out?"

Kurei frowned inwardly. _Hmm…that IS true…someone WOULD have spotted her. Then…is she, perhaps, telling the truth…? But then how did she end up here?_

Fuuko grinned victoriously at the man's silence. As she looked at his face, she was…surprised to see how relaxed it was. Yes, she _had_ seen him without his mask before…as had the rest of the Hokage, but…she had never seen, or rather _thought_ that he would be this relaxed. Her grin widened as she watched him reach up and brush his bangs out his eyes, rather annoyed. It hadn't struck her before…but…if not for her prior knowledge of him and what exactly he was capable of doing…he would have looked pretty normal. Even though _the_ scar stained the side of his face, it didn't mar his image too much – rather, it…made him stand out…adding to his mysterious image…

_Kirisawa Fuuko…WHAT the HELL was THAT? What on EARTH are you THINKING? This…this man…he's…urgh! Never mind him! STOP!_

Kurei looked up when he sensed the grin on the Fuujin-wielder's face and raised his eyebrows when he saw her staring at him. He watched her eyes followed his movements, even as he brushed his bangs from his eyes, and watched as her grin stayed on her face. Needless to say, he was somewhat surprised to see her shake her head, looking as though she was immersed in an internal dialogue with herself. She flushed when she looked at him again and saw the smirk that had found itself on his face. _Why was…she staring like that…?_

"Uh, well, I'm sorry to be wasting your valuable time, Kurei," said Fuuko, bowing her flushing face and mentally berating herself for her actions. What if he started thinking…_no_, _stop it, Fuuko-chan!_ "I'll be going then…" She headed towards the door, and walked past him – her tensed body relaxing when she made it past him without being attacked, burnt or harmed in any other way. She had only taken a few more steps forward, when he stopped her.

"Wait."

* * *

**A/N**

Heh…I wonder, why did Kurei ask her to wait? Hmmmm? Well, that's it for this rather long chapter! Hope you enjoyed it! Reviews please!

See ya!

Siriusgirl1


	5. Unusual Behaviour

**A/N**

Sigh. Where should I start? An apology would do, don't you think? Right then; I sincerely apologize for the long delay. I have my excuses, but…well, they're _excuses_…and I don't like giving excuses. I will, however try and explain _one_ of them; I was caught up with my school exams, or rather, with studying for my exams which finished on the 27th of June. And I'm getting my results on the 17th…that, argh, in three days! Ahem, anyway…enough with the excuses. I am truly sorry. I must admit, though, I didn't know that people wanted this fic to be continued…heh, thank you to everyone who reviewed chapter four…and who afterwards asked me to update, persistently.

Once again, I am truly sorry for the _long_ delay…but I hope I can assure you that I _will_ be continuing this story – until I ultimately finish it.

Well…that's about it…I hope this chapter doesn't disappoint…

**Chapter Five: Unusual Behaviour:**

"Wait." Fuuko stopped walking abruptly, the fake-grin freezing on her face as she did so. At first, she wondered if she had just imagined it…and she was about to start walking away, when he spoke again. "…I…have a few questions." Definitely sure that she wasn't imagining _that_, she turned around slowly, although she wasn't sure _why_ she did it.

"…Questions?" she asked, almost forgetting where she was and what a disadvantage she was at. "…What questions?"

"…………" Her eyes narrowed when the usually masked but then unmasked man didn't answer. It didn't occur to her just then that he was probably thinking. No, it just irritated her – for some reason or the other.

"What questions?" she repeated, fully turning around now, "Did you hear what I said? What questions?" It probably wasn't really safe or clever of her to speak to him in such a manner. She didn't really like it when he continued to remain silent, completely oblivious to the war that was raging inside the Uruha leader's head.

Kurei unconsciously heard the Fuujin-Wielder ask him what questions he wanted to ask her…but did not reply. He was too busy with the arguments and reprimands that were quickly entering his mind. He heard her repeat _her_ question, but still didn't answer. _Why did I just ask her to wait? _Glad of the fact that his back was towards the girl, he furrowed his brows.

_Why the hell did I just ask her to wait? She was going to leave…and I should have let her. Then WHY did I stop her?_ That same question, in different forms, ricocheted around his head. _Why?_ Unfortunately he was not for the life of him able to answer that particular question. Not without confusing himself; or crossing certain mental barriers that he didn't want to.

Seeing the man's rigid posture, and realizing that he probably would keep her standing there for as long as it took for him to actually answer her, she strode forward briskly and, grabbing his arm rather roughly, tugged on it, thus forcing him to turn around. She saw the momentary surprise that showed in the man's face and in his eyes, before the usual expressionless 'mask' was back on.

"What do you think you're – "

"- You said you have questions for me," interrupted Fuuko, more harshly than she had intended to, "So what _are_ those questions? Or do…you just plan on making me stand here all day waiting for you to _think_ of them?" The icy glance that Kurei shot her sent a few shivers down her spine, but she did her best to act as unaffected as she possibly could.

"Get your hands _off_ me," half-snarled Kurei, snatching his arm free from her grasp. Fuuko continued to stare hard up at him, her green eyes still narrowed as Kurei turned so that his back was towards her again. Annoyed at his behaviour, Fuuko leaned forward and grabbed his arm again.

"For crying out _loud _will you _please_ – oof!" She staggered back a step or two as Kurei's elbow connected with her gut; her already injured gut. Gasping, she tried to straighten up – taking a while to do it too. When she did, she shot Kurei – who was now facing her – one of her best glares, but she might as well have done that to a wall…and even _it_ would be more responsive than the person she was currently facing. "Since you seem to like harming me _so_ bloody much, and since you have these so-called _questions_ that you want to ask me," she took a deep, painful breath, "how about we come to an agreement? You leave your hands off my gut, definitely my neck – "

" – What makes _you_ think I'll _listen_ to – "

" – and also my chest." When her mind registered exactly_ what_ she had said, Fuuko had the decency to turn _bright_ red even as the expression on her face changed from one of grimacing seriousness to horror. _I…did not say that. I SO did NOT say that… Did I?_

Kurei, the master of concealing his emotions, could not help but wince as the girl standing before him stopped speaking. Or rather, as she said what she had said. _'Leave your hands off……my chest…?' _That didn't sound right. It sounded _bad_; bad enough for his normally pale face to actually have a _bit_ of colour in it…and it didn't help when his eyes unconsciously moved to the bit of anatomy that the girl had recently spoken about. And when he unconsciously wondered if the girl knew that the two top buttons of her high-collared top were undone.

_Shiiiiiiiii…t…what am I doing?_

Fuuko opened her mouth to say something, still embarrassed, when she saw the unmasked man staring at -- her eyes ogled in their sockets just as her face turned a darker shade of red. "I…I didn't m-mean it like that…" she said, slowly, "It's just that…well, I'm injured in…in those parts I mentioned." Finally finding something to talk about, she managed to get a weak glare on her face and direct it towards the man who had now thankfully torn his gaze away from…whatever he had been staring at. "You and Neon saw to my _neck_…and Recca's _Nadare_ saw to the rest…"

Kurei found himself nodding before he could stop himself. Yes, he remembered how the girl had gotten injured when she had had that training-session/fight with Recca; how two of Nadare's fire-balls had hit her in…two different places. _Did she see me…?_ "It's not _my_ fault that you just won't keep your nose out of other people's businesses," he said, coldly.

Fuuko raised her eyebrows. "Oh? And _pray_ tell me what I've been _so_ inquisitive about…"

"Me." Kurei cleared his throat, "My past." Fuuko just stared at him, without answering. Actually speaking, she didn't really _know_ how to answer that question. What was she supposed to say? _'Oh yeah, ever-since I saw your father beating you up that night, I've been wondering about your past and why the hell you do whatever you do even though you don't like it. Putting our differences aside, how about we sit down and discuss it over tea?'_

Well…_yeah_, she _could_ say that, providing that she left out the tea part, as that _was_ why she was suddenly inquisitive about. _Not about him, just his past._

She sighed heavily. "…So what if I am?" she asked, not knowing whether that was the answer he had expected or not. She looked squarely at him. "Yes, I _am_ interested in your past."

"Why?" asked Kurei, his voice still cold. Fuuko held back another sigh, ignoring the feeling that this all sounded exactly like an interrogation to her. She moved so that she was leaning against one of the bookshelves close by. Now _that_ was a hard one – not to _her_, but to explain it to _him_ was hard. He had probably never felt curious in his entire life. Oh, wait, no, he _was_ curious; wasn't that why he was asking her these questions?

"That's a hard question to answer," she said, before shrugging, "I guess I'm a naturally curious person. I apparently just curiously rush into things without being aware of the possible consequences." She shrugged again, "But…I guess I just want to find out exactly _what_ happened to you."

"_Why?_" asked Kurei, cruelly, "So that you can revel in the fact that for _once_ you and your friends are more privileged than _I_ am?"

"Er…sorry, but none of my friends own a mansion…none of them are filthy rich…and…" Fuuko cocked her head to a side, pretending to be thinking, "Oh yeah! And none of them are _privileged_ enough to be feared by most of the people around here." She nodded. "So, I'm sorry…you were saying something about being more privileged?"

Kurei laughed bitterly. "So having a mansion and being _filthy rich_ is privileged?" he asked. Fuuko nodded slowly.

"Well, yeah, most people would think so," she said. Kurei shook his head.

"That is why I told you before…that you would not understand…" Something in his voice cut off the scathing Fuuko had had planned, and she stared thoughtfully at him instead. Neither of the pair said anything for a while afterwards.

**Meanwhile:**

Yanagi snapped her eyes open with a start as she heard the sharp exclamation from somewhere nearby. Raising her head from where it had been lying on the couch, she looked around hurriedly. Her brown eyes landed on the figure of Kagero, seated in the chair opposite her. When she saw the object that Kagero was staring hard at, she immediately sat up straight.

"Kagero-san…have – have you found her?" she asked slowly, hoping against hope that she had. Kagero looked up at her, having thought that she was still fast asleep. She nodded slowly, although the expression on her face made the young Healer worry. "What is it Kagero-san?" she asked, standing up and moving so that she was standing behind the lady.

Kagero chose not to answer, as she redirected her attention to the madougu, the Eikai Gyoku that was in her hands. Previously, when she had tried to locate the Fuujin-wielder, all that she had received from her madougu had been thick black mist. She had kept on trying, but that was the same thing she got each time. This time, however…the mist wasn't there. No, it certainly wasn't…and therefore, she was able to see clearly what was going on…and, from the looks of it, where the girl was.

"…Where is she, Kagero-san?" murmured Yanagi, worried, as she peered over Kagero's shoulder. At first, all that she could see was the blurred outline of a slim figure, dressed in – "Fuuko-chan!" she exclaimed, relieved. _She's alive…thank god…_ "Kagero-san, can you tell where she is? If so, when Recca-kun and the others get back, we can tell them where to go, to look for her…Kagero-san? Kagero-san, what's wrong? Why aren't you saying anything? _Kagero-san!_"

Yanagi was highly worried when the older woman stayed silent, seeming to refuse to answer her questions. As she glanced at the madougu in the lady's hands once more, wondering at her strange behaviour, her brown-eyes widened. Where there had previously been just _one_ figure…she could now see two. And it was the second figure that made her worry…and that made her understand Kagero's unresponsive behaviour.

"…K-Kurei…" she whispered, her face turning white. She gripped the back of Kagero's chair hard, unable to tear her eyes away from the madougu. Kagero nodded slowly, seeming to have heard the girl _this_ time around.

"What does he want with her…?" she mused, unable to quench the foreboding feeling that had just entered her gut. "…Be careful, Fuuko…"

**Back at the Uruha mansion:**

By now, Fuuko was getting restless. And it wasn't just that – she was exhausted. She just wanted to go back to the apartment team Hokage had been given to stay in during the tournament, throw herself on her bed and sleep for a couple of days – or hours at least. But no, she was just standing here, facing her biggest enemy…and, surprisingly, she wasn't in the mood to attack him. It didn't help when the enemy mentioned just stood there, staring at her with a…_normal_ expression on his face. The fact surprised her somewhat - it wasn't often that you saw the leader of the Uruha with an expression on his face that _wasn't_ cruel, murderous or just down right evil. And now, with this _normal_ expression…well, it was just odd. _Aaaarghhhhhhhh Fuuko no BAKA! Who CARES about his facial expressions! Sheesh! Get a LIFE will you!_

"Well, uh…it was, er nice talking to you…" said Fuuko, as she stared at the man. He didn't respond. "I'll leave you to your…thoughts then…" She turned around and started walking away from the area, her senses alert, just in case the man decided to attack her. She was surprised when she found herself standing in front of the large doors, without having been stopped or attacked. Unwilling to marvel at the fact and waste time, she hurriedly opened one of the doors and walked outside, closing it behind her.

The Uruha leader stared after her, his face devoid of any emotion as usual. A moment later, he mentally shook his head free of all thought, before switching off the light that he had put on earlier, and heading towards the plush armchair he had been seated, reading Joker's book before he had been…distracted. His tea was cold, but it didn't matter; he didn't think he would be drinking it any time soon. Sitting down, he picked up the book and opened it to the place he had stopped reading.

**The Hokage Apartment:**

Yanagi was resting once more on the couch she had been seated on, before she had heard Kagero's exclamation. The dark-haired lady was still staring at her madougu, concentrating hard, but it was to no avail. The mist was all that she saw, and it confused her. How was she able to see Fuuko, and where she was _before_, and now have the mist appearing when she tried locating her?

"Kagero-san?"

"Hai, Yanagi-chan?"

"Do you…think that he…kidnapped her?" Kagero stared at the brown-haired girl, a thoughtful expression on her face. A moment or two later, she shook her head slowly.

"I…do not know for sure, Yanagi-chan," she said, quietly. Yanagi's shoulders drooped. If the Uruha leader _had_ indeed kidnapped Fuuko…what would he do to her? "But – " Yanagi looked up. "…I doubt it. From what we saw in the Eikai Gyoku, she didn't seem to be harmed, did she?"

Yanagi furrowed her brows, before shaking her head. "No…"

"Besides, I don't think Fuuko-chan would have allowed herself to just…be kidnapped, do you?" Again Yanagi shook her head.

"No but…against…_him?_" Kagero was silent, mainly because she knew that she agreed with the girl. Strong and determined though Fuuko was, against Kurei, she probably wouldn't last for a long while. She sighed.

"Let's just hope that…she gets back soon…" she said. "I will keep on trying, with the Eikai Gyoku though…" Yanagi nodded, as she rested her head on the couch again.

"I hope Recca-kun and the others get back safely too…" she murmured.

**Uruha mansion:**

Fuuko walked down the dark hallway, not really knowing where she was going. For the thousandth time since she had left the library, she wondered whether she had taken the wrong turn. Hell, she knew she had gone down a number of staircases, and a number of levels, but…she couldn't find a way out. Twice, she had nearly, _nearly_ gotten caught, by carelessly walking past rooms. Luckily for her, Magensha had never been around in those two times.

As she walked down the hallway, her knees suddenly gave out, causing her to fall on the ground with a quickly muffled yelp. Thankful that she hadn't knocked into anything that would have made any noise she lay where she was, breathing quickly. _What…just happened? _Taking more quick breaths, she pulled herself to her feet, surprised when her body almost automatically moved towards the nearest wall for her to lean on. Her whole body hurt, for some odd reason.

She shook her head. No, it wasn't for some odd reason; she knew why. After all the attacks she had received over the past two days, she guessed that her body was tired, and that it was trying to tell her this. Feeling suddenly queasy, she wrapped an arm around her stomach, hoping against hope that she wasn't feeling sick enough to throw up. Even in her situation, she could not help but grin as she thought of how the Uruha would react to wake up in the morning – well, in a few hours, if they _weren't_ awake already – and find that some intruder had vomited in _their_ halls. The grin disappeared from her face when the queasy feeling increased. _Oh no…no, no, no…I can't…not here, not now…_

Out of instinct, she allowed her full body to lean against the wall, as she took in a few slow, deep breaths. She took special care not to rush, in case her resolve weakened and she _did_ throw up.

A while later, when she was sure that she was a bit better, she continued on her way, staggering, but managing to continue all the same. Gaining more confidence as she continued to tip-toe away, she only paused when she heard low voices coming from a room to her right. Normally, she would have continued, not wanting to be found, but what stopped her was the mention of Team Hokage. Against her better judgment, she paused, and leaned against the wall to the left of the slightly opened door. Her curiosity really did choose awful moments to take control of her…

**At the same time:**

He snapped the book shut, unable to concentrate on it. Whereas he had once been intrigued by the questions and themes created by the book, he found that he just could not bear to think about them. He just couldn't concentrate. Why? Well, he would have blamed it on the brown-haired Fuujin-wielder of the Hokage, if he didn't know any better. Seeing how he _did_ know better, he knew that it was just his own fault.

Staring out of the large windows before him, he could see that the sky wasn't as dark as it was before – of course not, as dawn was only a few hours away. He wondered if the Fuujin-wielder had managed to make her way out of the mansion, in one piece. If she was found by Joker or even Neon, he knew that he wouldn't need to worry…it was just - - he stopped, his eyes narrowing. _Worry? Did I just…say 'worry'? _He frowned. _Why would I 'worry' about that cocky, over-confident, foul-mouthed girl? _

He was right; she certainly _was_ cocky and over-confident, never hesitating to let a curse fly from her mouth when she was aggravated or angry. Unconsciously, he found himself wondering how she and the girl of healing…Sakoshita Yanagi got along. From what he had observed, the girl of healing was timid…and, well innocent. Well, the Fuujin-wielder was probably innocent too…but she certainly could take _care_ of herself. Her innocence was closer to being naïve. _No,_ he thought, shaking his head, _she's just…innocent, but in a different way…_

Resisting the urge to throw his arms up in the air in exasperation, he stood up, taking the book with him. It looked like he'd have to finish it another day, as he clearly wasn't thinking properly at the moment. With a last look around him, he walked briskly out of the library, and headed down the corridors and stairs, making for the Uruha quarters, where he hoped he would find Joker. He might as well return the book to the man, and ask for it when he planned on reading it properly.

**Meanwhile:**

Forgetting her exhaustion and the queasy feeling in her stomach, Fuuko was now standing, directly in front of the slightly-opened door. Her hands were clenched into fists, and there was an angered expression on her face as she listened to the men inside talk about her friends.

" – Hah, yes, and that Sakoshita girl…she's really cute, don't you think? What I wouldn't give to have her to myself…" Her green eyes hardened when she heard another man laugh.

"Sakoshita? Yeah, she's cute…but did you see Hokage's first round match-up with Team Kuu?" There was a series of murmurs. "How about the other girl…the one who fought the Kuu pervert?"

"Ohh…her…"

"She had a mighty fine body, didn't she…?"

"She _did_…if only we were allowed to capture _her_…"

"Hah, now that we're on the topic, that guy, Mikagami…he ain't too bad either…" She heard a series of wolf-whistles, which did _nothing_ to stop her blood from boiling. How _dare_ they. How _dare_ they say such _vile_ things about Yanagi-chan and Mi-chan? And about _her?_

_Calm down, Fuuko-chan…don't do anything stupid…you're in foreign territory here, so you have to be careful…_She was snapped out of her thoughts when she swayed again, and hurriedly reached out to the wall, to steady herself. _See? You have more important things to do than think about beating these freaks up…you have to get _out_ of here. Soon. _

Nodding to herself, she was about to turn her back to the door, when two things happened at once. She felt a strange presence from behind her, just as something cold and hard reached out and wrapped itself around her waist, tightening its hold on her. She gasped, in surprise _and_ for air. _What the - ?_

**Somewhere in the Uruha mansion:**

"This is bad…" said Neon, as they both stood, facing each other. She had her arms crossed over her chest. "Very bad." Joker nodded slowly.

"I must admit you are right this time, Neon-han…" he said, frowning inwardly. "I – "

" – and while you're at it, admit the fact that you shouldn't have brought her here in the first place," said Neon, shooting him a dark scowl. Joker held his hands out in front of him.

"Ano ne, Neon-han…we've been through this before haven't we?" he asked, his voice cheerful, "I _had_ to bring Kirisawa-han here…she'd be in danger if I didn't…"

"Do you really think that street-thugs could do her more harm that more than half of the inhabitants of this house?" asked Neon, sharply. Joker sweat-dropped.

"Well…no…but still! I am an honorable man, Neon-han, and I treat women with respect," he said, winking at her. "And I treat masculine-women like you with respect – doesn't that show how good I – " Joker avoided the punch aimed at him. "See what I mean?" he asked, as he chuckled.

Neon glared at him, as she tried to calm down. She could always beat him up later; right now, they had to find the Fuujin-wielder before she got into any trouble, and before the Hokage had any reason to blame Kurei-sama for kidnapping her or something. "Joker, we really _do_ have to find – " Neon stopped abruptly when she felt the…aura from somewhere nearby. Her eyes narrowed as she recognized who it belonged to. "That's – "

" – Mokuren…" finished Joker, recognizing it too. "Aa, I wondered where he was all this time. What's the bet he won't show his face to Mikagami-han anytime soon…"

"I don't think – " Again, Neon was forced to stop when she sensed a change in the normal aura that Mokuren radiated. To her…it seemed as though the man – if he could be _called_ that – was…happy, in the odd, cruel way that he called 'happy.' She frowned. "Why is he happy…?" she wondered aloud, her head cocked to a side as she furiously brushed a few of her orange bangs away from her eyes. Her eyes widened as she did that, and when they met Joker's eyes – or rather, where she _thought_ his eyes were, under that mask of his – they were slightly alarmed.

"He is only 'happy' when he has caught some poor young woman, unaware…" said Joker, quietly. He wondered why his companion looked alarmed. She knew this as well as he did. "Neon-han…?"

"…The Fuujin-wielder…" said Neon, "What if he's got her?"

"Let's get going then, Neon-han," said Joker, as he took off in the direction the aura came from. Neon stood where she was for a moment, before running after him. _If the girl ends up dead – or worse than dead – you'll have a lot to answer for, Joker. _

**Meanwhile:**

She struggled as best as she could, as she felt more of those…cold things wrap around her body, pulling her backward. _What _are_ they?_ Natural instincts kicking in, she raised her right hand, and, taking a deep breath, yelled out. "_Kaze no Tsume…"_ When the three white claws appeared on her Fuujin, she swiftly sliced off one of the cold-things that had wrapped itself around her waist, and heard it fall to the ground with a thud, and turned to work on the rest.

"Oh _no_, I don't _think_ so…" the familiar voice sent shivers down Fuuko's spine, and, realizing who she was up against, she raised her Fuujin-clad arm once more.

"_Fuujin, Kamai – _" Gritting her teeth, she writhed as much as she could, trying to free her right arm from the branch that had just wrapped itself around it.

"…I seem to remember something like this happening earlier…don't _you,_ Kirisawa Fuuko…?" questioned the voice, sounding irritatingly amused. "Hmm…but where – ah! It was when I first kidnapped your beautiful brown-haired friend…" Fuuko didn't need to be reminded about how she and Domon had been caught off-guard when it happened.

"What are you – how can you still be able to use your powers?" growled Fuuko, as she saw her vision blur. "After what Mi-chan did?" The two branches wrapped around her waist tightened, just as more wrapped themselves around her legs. She found herself thrown upwards, and flipped…so that she was facing her assailant. "Mokuren."

Mokuren's face had turned dark. "That young upstart was just _lucky_," he hissed, pulling Fuuko closer to him. "Don't even _mention_ his name in my presence." Fuuko raised an eyebrow.

"Why? Because Mi-chan defeated you so easily?" she questioned, allowing a smirk to form on her face at the annoyed expression she saw on Mokuren's. It disappeared soon, however, as a branch shot out from nowhere and wrapped itself around her neck, tightening as it did so.

"I said; _don't_ mention his name in my presence…" repeated Mokuren, grinning at the pained expression on her face. "You don't like that pain, do you?" he queried, pulling her even closer. "…Well, no one likes pain…" he dropped his voice to a whisper, as he ran his eyes over her form. "…It's been a while since I was able to catch a young woman on her own like this…"

Fuuko was only half-listening to him, as she struggled with her blurred vision and the pain on her neck. It hurt…like _hell._ Why did everyone seem to favour attacking her neck? She was snapped out of her thoughts when she felt something at her collar. Her green eyes snapped open, fighting the blurriness. She saw Mokuren's sick, grinning face, and glanced down hurriedly. "If you even _dare_…" threatened Fuuko, raising her blazing eyes to his cruel ones, "I _swear_ – "

" – You swear _what,_ Kirisawa Fuuko?" questioned Mokuren, not averting his gaze. "I wouldn't be making empty threats if I were you, darling…seeing how you cannot even use your precious madougu at the moment…" Fuuko bit her lip, but continued to glare at him. "Let me just _show_ you how _powerless_ you are…" The branch that had been tugging at her collar drew back suddenly, only to come slashing down at her. She winced at it slashed down on her chest, feeling the earlier pain return, although with a greater intensity. Yet, she knew she could deal with the pain…but _not_ with what the plant-freak had just done to her shirt.

Mokuren grinned, unconsciously licking his lips as he stared at the girl's now slightly ripped high-collared shirt. If he could just get a bit more to disappear...The same branch moved forward again, planning its strike. He saw the hatred in her eyes, and watched as she blinked somewhat sleepily. "You Hokage members are all the same – over-confident, cocky fools! Yes, even that Mikagami Tokiya," spat out Mokuren, his eyes glinting. "I knew I should have had my way with that Sakoshita girl before I took her to the mansion earlier…but _no_, she had to be unharmed…" He saw Fuuko's glare and knew he had struck a nerve. "When you lose in the next round…" Mokuren licked his lips again, "I'll have my way with your precious friend…" he grinned, "I'll rip off Hanabishi Recca's head with my own hands. And Mikagami…" there was a crazed glint in Mokuren's eyes. "Mikagami…I will deal with appropriately, for one who looks so feminine…"

Fuuko narrowed her eyes. "Empty vessels make the most noise…" she said, coldly, "I never knew how right Mi-chan was with that saying, until now…" She flinched as the branch brushed against her skin. Mokuren grinned.

"…Does it incense you that there is nothing you can do, but watch me?" he asked, mockingly.

She knew it wasn't the best thing to do. Heck, her mind _yelled _at her, telling her not to, but she couldn't help it. It was a part of her personality, and it wanted to make itself known to the freak standing before her. "No," she said, her voice hard. "I'm too busy trying _not_ to look at that ugly mug of yours. In case I puke." She really _did_ smirk in satisfaction when she saw the enraged expression on his face.

"Why you – " The branch sped towards her again, and Fuuko, with a sinking feeling, realized that she only _could_ watch. _Recca…maybe you were right…maybe my curiosity is one of my greatest weaknesses..._

**The floor below:**

"He's on the next floor." Joker pulled on Neon's arm as she started heading for the stairs. She stopped, sending him a quizzical look.

"I can't go with you, Neon-han…"

"What?" Neon shook her head. "You _are_ coming with me. It's _your_ fault that this whole mess _started_ in the first place."

"Neon-han…" said Joker, sighing, "_Must _we go into this – "

" – Let's carry on this conversation later, shall we? I don't want to go up there and find out that we're too late…" She shuddered as she thought of _what_ Mokuren could be doing as they spoke. Joker sensed her anger; not because Mokuren was attacking a member of the Hokage, but simply because of the way he thought he could continue to abuse and harass women.

" – I can't go with you, Neon-han…" Neon stared, surprised, as she realized he was being serious. He sighed heavily as he saw the expression on her face. "…Kurei-han's orders, Neon-han. The Hokage must not know that I am of the Uruha. Not _yet_."

"Why?" Joker scratched his head, the familiar expression on his face.

"Ano…I can't tell you that…" he said, almost sounding sincerely apologetic.

"Fine," said Neon, turning her back to him, "Do whatever you want." She started walking forward. Joker stared after her. _Gomen, Neon-han…I wish I could tell you…but I don't think Kurei-han would approve of it. He's already beaten you up for revealing that you know too much…I can't risk that happening again…_

**Meanwhile:**

The look of perverse glee disappeared from Mokuren's face when he sensed the presence somewhere below him. There was another presence there, but he couldn't identify it. He shrugged. Neon's madougu had been destroyed…if she tried interfering in this, he grinned, well, he'd just have to do the same thing to _her._ The branch snapped back, and headed towards the more…revealing part of the Hokage girl's shirt, when he sensed the other presence.

_That_ presence he recognized easily, and it didn't please him in the slightest bit. Neon he could deal with. But…_him?_ There was no chance. Well, not _yet_ anyway… He glanced back at the Fuujin-wielder, and saw that her eyes were on the branch that was about to attack her. He was tempted to…oh-so tempted to –

"K…Kurei-sama…" he said, his tone changing when he found the man standing right beside him, a book clutched in one hand.

"Mokuren." His deep blue eyes were as emotionless as ever as he stared at the grotesque being in front of him, with the girl held in the clutches of his branches. Mokuren stared back at him, sweating slightly, before an idea popped into his head.

"Look who _I_ found, trespassing in _your_ mansion, Kurei-sama…" he said, sounding sickeningly respectful. He nodded at the Fuujin-wielder who was glaring at him. "I was just trying to teach her a lesson – "

" – Save your lies, Mokuren. Yes, I know she was trespassing," cut in Kurei, coldly.

"Oh. Oh…" Mokuren paused. "Then…I presume you would want me to continue with this…?"

"Presume? Never presume anything about me, Mokuren," said Kurei, coldly once more. "If I knew the girl was trespassing, and I chose to let her, without attacking her…can you really presume that I would want you to…continue with whatever you have planned…?"

"I – no – I guess not…Kurei-sama," said Mokuren, opening and closing his mouth hurriedly. "I just – " Ignoring the turmoil of his thoughts, Kurei stared icily at Mokuren.

"Release her." The _creature_ just stared at him, looking displeased. "_Now."_ He half raised his left hand, the bangles jingling as he did so. With a visible gulp, Mokuren released the girl, not caring that she landed on the ground with an unceremonious thud. He continued to stand there as his subordinate stared at the girl before turning to him.

"Are…you _sure_ of this, Kurei-sama?" One could almost sense the temperature in the hallway drop dramatically.

"…You doubt me…?"

"N-no! Of course not, Kurei-sama!" said Mokuren, hurriedly, bowing his head in a show of – fake – respect. Naturally, the Uruha leader didn't fall for it. He had never liked Mokuren anyway.

"Good," he said, icily. "You may go." Mokuren straightened from the bow, his branches having receded, leaving him with the normal appearance of a freaky man. Too busy with trying to placate his Master, he failed to sense the strong presence from behind him.

He stumbled forward as he felt the searing pain in his back. _What!_ Whirling around in an attempt to see who it was, he only caught a fist in the face, and clutched at his nose.

"Fuujin; _Kamaitachi."_ The Fuujin-wielder's voice was deathly calm as the blasts of wind tore into Mokuren, causing him to yell out, much like he had done when he faced Mikagami in the second-round. Seeing that he was about to bring out the famous branches, Fuuko landed a quick drop-kick, sending him crashing into the wall. The claws of her _Kaze no Tsume_ dug at his neck while she had grabbed a fistful of his shirt.

"You little – get _off_ me – "

" – Never," said Fuuko, her voice trembling, "_Ever_ touch me again…" The claws dug into his neck, drawing blood. "You should be happy that Mi-chan was too _righteous_ to kill you – but make no mistake; he will _not_ make the same mistake again." _She_ was trembling now. "And – " she dug the claws in deeper. " – don't you _dare_ think about laying a finger on Yanagi-chan. We _will_ defeat Uruha Ma…and then go on to the finals."

" – That's what _you_ think…" gasped Mokuren, trying to ignore the pain the claws were causing him. "Did you enjoy hearing you little friend scream? In the mansion, when we kidnapped her?"

"Shut up." He winced as she punched him.

"Hanabishi enjoyed it too, didn't he…?"

"Shut _up._" He ignored the punch this time.

"I wonder if Mikagami heard - "

" – _Shut up!"_ Kurei could not help but watch, from where he was, as the now enraged Fuujin-wielder raised her right arm, with the claws, and as she brought them down, towards his throat. He knew, before she paused, that she would not do it. She didn't have the stomach to do it – to kill. And he was right. With a last punch, knocking the man's head unwittingly back into the hard wall, he was unconscious. Fuuko stepped away from him hurriedly, breathing heavily.

She didn't seem to be faring better either, as she fell to her knees, a safe distance from Mokuren, an arm wrapped around her stomach. If she knew that the Uruha leader was still standing there, she didn't acknowledge his presence.

"You should not let your anger get the best of you…" Her head snapped up, and she immediately regretted it when she felt the pain on her neck, as she heard the cold voice. She sighed.

"…I know…" she whispered, looking down. "It…it just happened…" He stood where he was.

"…You should have left long before…" he said, watching as she took in a few deep breaths. Fuuko nodded, not caring that she was displaying her weak state in front of her enemy. _Who knew that things would turn out like this…?_

She managed a weak smile at him. Obviously, he didn't respond. "Yeah…" she said, "But I kind of forgot to ask you for directions to the front door…" She coughed, covering her mouth with her hand and praying that she wouldn't throw up then and there.

"What about the way you came in?"

"For the hundredth time, I am _not_ trespassing."

"I don't think I believe that."

"I don't _care_; _I_ know that I wasn't trespassing."

"………" Annoyed by his silence, Fuuko pulled herself to her feet, wincing, and turned to glare at him, her hands on her hips.

"_Look,_ you stupid, always-assuming…_jerk_," she started, "I am not trespassing. I remember training with Recca in the morning…and I think I passed out while heading back towards the apartment. When I woke up, I was in _this_ house, trying to escape a freaky Magensha, OK? And if I _passed_ out, I _doubt_ if I made it here on my own. So maybe _you_ and your Uruha could explain how I ended up here."

"If you are implying that we kidnapped you, I am afraid that you are dearly mistaken," said Kurei, coldly. "We would not waste our time on useless tasks such as kidnappings, especially – "

"Oh, really? Then what about Yanagi-chan? If I remember correctly, Koganei and Mokuren kidnapped _her_ on _your_ orders!"

" – especially on people who are not worth going to the trouble of kidnapping…" There was a small pause.

"…Did you – are you – Did you just say I'm not worth kidnapping?"

"…I believe I did." She knew it wouldn't work, but she forgot herself for a moment, as she glared at him. Kurei stared at her, his eyes cold. His stoic expression didn't last for long, however, as his eyes traveled away from the girl's face – on their own accord. Her high-collared shirt was ruined, he absently noted. The chest area was in ripped shards…revealing quite a bit of her creamy – _stop. Now. _

Busy glaring at him and trying to think of a suitable retort, Fuuko was distracted when she saw his eyes move from her gaze, and travel to her – again, her eyes ogled in their sockets. "You're doing it again!" she said, impulsively.

"What…?" questioned Kurei, averting his gaze hurriedly, and hoping that although his face felt slightly warm, it wasn't _looking_ warm.

"You were staring _again_!" exclaimed Fuuko, glaring at him. "_Stop_ staring at my che – " Fuuko fought the urge to close her eyes, horrified at herself. _Kami-sama…are you having a good laugh over this one? I hope you are; I don't think I've _ever_ embarrassed myself like this before…not even in front of Mi-chan…_

Seeing the deep red flush that crept into the girl's face, Kurei couldn't resist a smirk. "…I would, if you would cover yourself up a bit…" The moment he said it he wished he could bite his tongue off. _What is happening to me…? Was my tea…drugged? _He saw the girl's eyes widen as she opened and closed her mouth, resembling a gold-fish.

"I," she started, huffing, "_Am_ covered up." She snorted. "How much more _covered up_ do you want me to be? Head to toe? My face too? Besides, what about the way half your _Uruha_ women dress?"

"You're not as covered up as you think," said Kurei, thankful that his voice sounded…normal. "Or has your miniscule brain already forgotten about what Mokuren did…?"

Fuuko was seething. "How _dare_ you insult me like that!" she half-snarled, "I _do_ have brains for your – " Seeing his quirked eyebrow and…pointed gaze, Fuuko glanced down…and wished that she could just die. _Kami-sama, did I do anything to make you angry with me? I'm sorry if I did…_ Wrapping her arms around her, Fuuko did her best to glare at the smirking leader of the Uruha. "I am done talking to you," she huffed, with whatever dignity she could muster in her voice. "You're just an arrogant – "

" – The window at the end of this corridor looks out onto a less protected section of this property…the front door will be heavily guarded by now."

" – self-absorbed - - what? Oh. Uh…right…" Fuuko bowed her head, before raising it again. "Fine then, I'm going."

"I never asked you to stay."

"I _know_ that," said Fuuko, glowering at him as she walked forward. She tensed as she neared him and started walking past him, wondering if he would attack her – which he didn't, and she guessed she should have expected that, weird though it was. "By the way, Kurei, I really _do _intend on satisfying my curiosity…and solving the puzzle about…well, everything that you warned me _not_ to interfere in."

"………" She had more or less expected that, so she continued walking forward, towards the window through which she could see the much lighter sky outside. Steeling herself as she felt queasy, she focused all her attention on getting out of the freaky mansion. "Fuujin; _Kamaitachi._" Once the window smashed, she peeked out of it and saw that she must be at least two stories from the grass down below. Taking a deep breath and without glancing back, she leaped out, twisting her body so the impact wouldn't hurt her too much.

**At the Hokage Apartment:**

The atmosphere in the living-room of the apartment shared by the Hokage was not a light-hearted one at all. No, it was tense. Yanagi was seated on the couch, looking absently at her hands, whilst the rest of the team just paced up and down. Except for Mikagami, that is.

"This is not good; not good at all…" muttered Domon, as he stopped walking suddenly, "It's not _like_ Fuuko to just disappear somewhere without telling us first…especially when we have an important series of matches tomorrow…"

Koganei nodded. "Fuuko-neechan wouldn't do that," he agreed. "But then…_where_ could she be?" Recca, who had been pacing behind the couch Yanagi was seated on, stopped walking abruptly.

"There's only one place left, to check…" he said and his face turned dark as everyone looked at him. "The Uruha mansion." The whole room was quiet. Saicho, who had accompanied them, frowned.

"…How would she get there? Fuuko-chan wouldn't go there, would she?" he questioned. Mikagami shook his head.

"No, she wouldn't…but if she_ was_ kidnapped…" he said, his voice trailing off, as no-one needed him to continue. He turned to Kagero. "Kagero-san, have you managed to see her, after that first time?" Kagero shook her head.

"Not after that first time…" she admitted. "Recca," she started, with a warning note in her voice as she saw the dark expression on her son's face. "Let's not jump to conclusions about Kurei's part in this – "

" – Not jump to conclusions? _Not_ jump to conclusions?" Recca was angry, and it clearly showed. "Kachan…this is Fuuko…she's – I – " He stopped, taking a deep breath. "Kachan, I can't just sit by while they're doing god knows what to Fuuko…I can't – I _won't_."

"How do – "

" – Recca-kun, please, calm down," said Yanagi, shooting Kagero an apologetic glance as she interrupted her. "Like Kagero-san said, maybe we should just wait until she gets back…or something, before blaming people unnecessarily…"

"Hime, you _both_ saw her and Kurei through the Eikai Gyoku didn't you?" asked Recca, watching as the two women nodded. "What other explanation could there be, for what you saw? You don't really think _Fuuko_ arranged a meeting or something with him, do you?"

"Recca-san, what if – " Saicho was cut off when they heard the knock on the front door of the apartment – the door that they had locked, just in case. The seven people in the room stiffened visibly as they turned to stare at the door as one. Domon, Koganei, Saicho and Recca exchanged glances. Who could it be?

"Kachan - - " Kagero nodded as she made her way towards Yanagi.

"Kagero-san…?"

"Don't worry…it'll be fine…" she said, comfortingly, as she led the girl away from the living-room of the apartment. They stood in the hallway that led to the bedrooms, their eyes fixed on the scene before them. Koganei gripped his madougu tightly in his hands as he stood next to Saicho, whereas Recca and Domon stood together. The knocking continued, although it was louder this time.

Moving forward, Recca opened the door slowly, prepared for an attack. He stepped back, surprised, when he saw the brown-haired girl scowling at the door.

"It's about bloody time!" she exclaimed, shooting him an annoyed glance, "I was thinking I'd have to break the freaking _door_ down!" Pushing past her shocked friend, she entered the apartment and stopped short when she saw everyone staring at her, with expressions of shock and relief on their faces. Well, on _most_ of their faces. "W-what?" she asked, gritting her teeth as she swayed on her feet.

"Fuuko-neechan! Where _were_ you? We were so worried!" Koganei broke the silence as he stared at the girl with a relieved smile on his face.

"Eh…?"

"My Fuuko-sama is safe!" exclaimed Domon, running towards her with his arms wide open. Fuuko side-stepped him and winced as he crashed into the wall behind her. _Sorry Domon, but I don't think I can take a hug from you right now…_

"Fuuko-san…your…clothes…" Fuuko looked down at herself as Saicho's statement caught everyone's attention. She sighed, hearing Recca walk up to her from where he had been standing by the door.

"Aa…" she said, ruefully. "I had a bit of an accident…"

"Fuuko-chan – " Yanagi was surprised to find Recca wrapping an arm around her to stop her. Looking up at him, she saw a strange, serious expression on his face. "Recca-kun?"

Recca turned to look at Fuuko, with the top half of her top in shreds, and looking as though she was about to collapse. "Where were you, Fuuko?"

"Huh…?" asked Fuuko, rather stupidly, as she saw her vision blur again.

"Where were you all this time, Fuuko?" repeated Recca, quietly. "It's 2:40 a.m. I want to know where you've been since we trained last morning…"

Fuuko opened her mouth to answer him, but stopped. To be fair on her, she had been about to tell him that she had been in the Uruha mansion, and that she had no idea how she got there. Seeing the expression on his face, however, she knew that it wouldn't be a wise idea. Besides, if she told him the truth, she'd have to tell him about _everything_…as in, what she had heard in the forest and what she had managed to glean from Neon. She still remembered how Recca had almost snapped at her for defending Kurei before…and she didn't want it to happen again.

"I…" she swayed dangerously on her feet. "I…was actually – _ugh - - "_ She felt a pair of arms catching her before she could fall face down on the floor, dead to the world. Mikagami stared thoughtfully at the girl in his arms. _You were actually what, Fuuko…?_

"Fuuko-chan!" exclaimed Yanagi, rushing up to her.

"It's OK…I think she just fainted…" said Mikagami, softly. Domon let out a yelp.

"Fainted? Fuuko _never_ faints!" he said, his eyes wide. Koganei stared at him.

"Never?"

"Nope." Kagero decided to step in at that moment.

"Well, Fuuko was never involved in a situation like this before, was she?" she asked, calmly, before turning to Mikagami. "Mikagami-kun, do you think you could carry Fuuko to her room? That's the best place for her right now…" Mikagami nodded curtly, before heading towards the rooms with the unconscious girl in his arms, one arm supporting her back whilst the other was under her knees.

"I'm going with him," said Yanagi, as she stepped forward, "I should change her clothes too…" Kagero nodded. That would be best. The moment she followed Mikagami into the room, the silence that had fallen was broken by Recca.

"If Kurei had anything to do with her…disappearance…and her…_condition_," he said, referring to her clothes, "I swear, I'll kill him _before_ we face him in the finals." Kagero sighed inwardly. She had expected this from him.

She nodded. "Let's just…wait and see what she has to say, when she wakes up…" She fixed her son with a hard look. "Until then, Recca, _calm down_ and just think about the semi-finals tomorrow. Fuuko will be fine; you should know this more than I do."

**The Uruha mansion:**

He shut the brown-coloured file hurriedly, before placing it aside. His desk was cluttered with all kinds of files, and most of them had nothing to do with _him._ They should have been sent to his 'father'…as they had the details on the man's shady deals with various underworld organizations. Spotting a red file, he pulled it towards him and opened it. Briefly looking through the first few papers inside it, he was surprised to find that it contained detailed information on Team Hokage, together with a small photograph. Detailed information as in the addresses of each of the team members, the school they attended, and other bits of details. He furrowed his brows as he browsed through it. _When was this file put together? _He shook his head. _No…_why_ was this file put together? I certainly don't need to know all of this to defeat them in the Urabutousatsujin…_

His eyes landed on the page his eyes stopped on, and found that it was the information page of the Fuujin-wielder of the Hokage. The photograph showed the smiling brown-haired girl in what he presumed was her school uniform. Automatically, his mind seemed to recall the recent…encounters that he had had, with her. A smirk twisted the corners of his lips upward as he recalled her behaviour and her attitude. She certainly was different compared to others in her situation. Hell, she hadn't even seemed intimidated of him…or if she was, she certainly didn't show it. And that was…admirable…? Or was it stupidity on her part…?

"…Kirisawa Fuuko…"

**A/N**

Whew…that was a long chapter, wasn't it? I hope you liked it! Heh…poor Kurei, being blamed for abducting Fuuko-chan. Why would he want to do that? I'm sorry about the lack of 'rulers' to separate the sections I wanted, but for some reason after I uploaded this document in the document manager, the 'add ruler' button wouldn't work. So I had to resort to using 'meanwhile' and 'at the same time.' I'm really sorry about that...

Anyways, that's it for this chapter. Reviews will be gladly welcomed.

See ya soon!

Siriusgirl1


	6. You've Got Nothing To Prove

**A/N**

Well…here's chapter six! It's long, but I don't think it's as long as the last chapter – hopefully. There's nothing much to say here...

**aite: **Gosh, really? I'm honoured...although I don't think this can match up to 'The Right Things.' Sigh...if only that fic was continued - I just loved it! Hehe, well, thanks anyway...and I hope you keep reading!

One with chapter six then!

**Chapter Six: You've Got Nothing to Prove**

****

The dark-haired ninja had a small smile on his face as he walked down one of the many corridors of the large mansion that he and his fellow Uruha colleagues resided in. He was pleased – although that was pretty much obvious. When he had been given the mission by his master, he had been loathe to leave the premises at the time, aware of the fact that it _could_ take him a day or two to _locate_ the targets and eliminate them. Normally, however, he wouldn't have minded the chance to get away from the mansion for a day or two, even if it _was_ for a mission; truth be told, the dark, sinister mansion unsettled him. Not that he'd tell Kurei-sama about it, of course. He had been loath to leave the place in case he wouldn't be back on time to see Hokage take on Uruha Ma in the semi-finals of the Urabutousatsujin.

Specifically, in case he wouldn't be back on time to see Kirisawa Fuuko fight against whomever her opponent would be. He had only seen her fight in the first-round of the tournament and, a faint blush tainted his cheeks, that was more of a…a… - - Uh, well, that hadn't been much of a match, in the sense that her opponent wasn't really a _proper_ one. Heck, all he had wanted was to see her naked in the ring. Against Uruha Ma, however, she would be forced to face a _worthy_ opponent…and he had really wanted to see how she handled such a situation.

He was lucky to have found his 'targets' quickly. It hadn't been too difficult, as they had been holding some kind of secret meeting. Quickly disposing of them, he had hurried back. And he was pleased…very pleased. Shaking his head free of its thoughts and smiling at one of the maids who passed him in the hallway, he resumed his search for Kurei-sama. He had to tell him how the mission went after all.

**Somewhere in the Uruha mansion:**

"…She thinks we kidnapped her." The statement didn't seem to phase the man one bit as he stared hard at the chess-set that was lying on the table, with its pieces scattered towards the side.

"Aw…is there _nothing_ else to do in this place?" groaned the man, mocking burying his face in his hands, just as his shoulders slumped. The other occupants of the room stared at his companion, different expressions of unease on their faces.

"_She_ thinks _we kidnapped_ her…" repeated the tall, orange-haired lady, as she stood behind him, trying to keep her temper in check. Why, _why_ did he always have to do the _right_ things to rile her up?

"Mou…ah! Kai-han, is that _you_ I see there, looking inconspicuous – or trying to – in that big dark cloak of yours?" When he got no reply (well he did, it was a heavy sigh, but he chose to ignore it) he stalked towards the man seated in the corner of the room, and who appeared to be reading a newspaper. The fiery-haired lady just stared at her companion, her eyes widening. Did he _not_ realize that she was - -

"_Yes,_ Joker, it _is_ me," said Kai, from behind the hood of his cloak, as his fellow Jyushinshuu member peered into his face, causing him some discomfort; or rather, causing him to fight the urge to slap the silly, grinning face away from his.

"_I was_ talking to you in case – "

"I _knew_ it!" exclaimed Joker, sounding delighted. "For some weird reason I thought you were trying to _avoid_ me." The dark-haired man threw his head back, chuckling cheerfully. "But that's absurd, isn't it?" He cocked his head to a side as he heard the ice-man – as he liked calling him every now and then – mumbled something under his breath. "What's that Kai-han? I didn't hear you."

"Never mind," grunted Kai, as he turned his attention back to the newspaper that he had seen lying around, before picking it up, bored. Staring at the newspaper, Joker grimaced, before snatching it away from the man.

"C'mon Kai-han, don't be _boring_! Watcha reading a _newspaper_ for?" he asked, ignoring the…well, the look that the ice-man was sending him. Glancing briefly at the headlines – about some business scandal or something – he tossed the paper over his shoulder. "It's _b-o-r-i-n-g._" Hearing a muffled exclamation from behind him, the man turned around, and grinned again as he saw the fiery-haired lady glaring at him with half the newspaper on her head. "Ooops…"

"_Ooops! Ooops!" _screeched Neon, finally losing her temper, causing everyone in the room – except Joker – to flinch. "I have been _trying_ to get your attention for the past god-knows _how long_ and – " Kai flinched as he heard Neon's words. _He _knew what the woman was talking about, just as he also knew that Joker would misinterpret it, purposely.

"Neon-han…" said Joker, taking advantage of the pause she took, to take in a breath, "You finally admit it!"

" – the _least_ you can do - - what?"

"You just admitted that you've been trying to get my attention for a long time now!" explained Joker, as he leaned towards her. "Neon-han, it's alright, I always knew that you were trying to do that and – " the chess-set went flying over his head as he ducked, " – you know you will always have a special place in my – " a shoe went flying over his head, " – heart, don't you?"

As Neon's face started turning purple, three of the four people who had been in the room at the time – people from the lower ranks of the Uruha – hurriedly exited the room, leaving Kai on his own with the pair. _Chickens…_

"For crying out loud; _she thinks we kidnapped her on Kurei-sama's orders!"_ yelled Neon, loud enough for…well, glass to shatter. Joker cocked his head to a side, wondering if he should anger her more. He decided against it; he didn't want her blood-pressure to sky-rocket. _If it hasn't already, that is…_

"You mean Fuuko-han…?" he asked. Neon nodded, still glaring at him.

"_Yes_."

"Oh."

"_Oh?_"

"Oh…?"

"…_Oh?_"

"…Neon-han, as much as I like doing this…_why_ are we repeating 'oh' over and over again?"

"Is that _all_ you have to _say?_ _Oh?_" asked Neon, "Do you know what you've _done_ to Kurei-sama! Hanabishi Recca and the rest of the Hokage are going to think that he had her kidnapped to weaken her or something like that before the semi-finals. And it _won't_ help when she tells them about running into Mokuren!"

"…Neon-han, I – "

" – I normally wouldn't _care_ what they think, but I don't want Kurei-sama to be implicated in anything, especially when it wasn't planned!" When she finished, she was breathing heavily, as she always did whenever she had a conversation, or something _close_ to a conversation with Joker. For a moment, as she stared at him, she _thought_ she saw an odd expression on what could be seen of his face, before it disappeared.

"…I know that, Neon-han."

"Then – what are you going to do about it?" asked Neon, her voice sounding sharper than she had intended. _Was that…a sad expression I saw on his face before? _She stared hard at him. _No…it couldn't have been. I don't think he even knows the _meaning_ of the word 'sad'…right?_

"The one thing I _should_ have done," was the answer she got, as he moved forward, heading for the door. "Kai-han told me not to do bring her here either, but, like I told you both, I had my reasons." He waved absently at Kai over his shoulders. "Don't worry about getting into trouble, Kai-han." Neon stared at the man's back as he made his way to the door.

"Where – where are you going?" she asked, warily. _What's this? Why isn't he…cracking a joke? Or grinning? And why is his aura slightly dimmer than usual…? _

"To set things right."

"You're not going without me," she said, pushing aside her random thoughts. "After all, I knew what you had done too, and I should have done the right thing and told Kurei-sama, but I thought we could find the girl and send her back before he got to know. If you're going where I _think_ you're going, I think I should come – "

" – No, Neon-han," he said, gently, but firmly. "You've already suffered for a…mistake…this is my doing, so I will deal with the consequences." He waved at her. "Ja." All Neon could do was stare after him, her mouth slightly opened, as she took in what he said. It wasn't just _what_ he said…it was the _way_ he said it that…well, unsettled her; that made her squirm slightly.

_Joker…_

**Hokage Apartment:**

"…And, yeah, that's all I can remember…" Fuuko winced almost as soon as the words left her mouth. "Not that there _was_ anything else that I should know about, except for how I ended up in the mansion…" Feeling an itch in her throat after recounting her tale thrice, she glanced at one of the bedside tables and was relieved when she saw the pitcher and the glass of water on it. Sitting up, on bed, she reached out for it.

"I'll get it!" The glass was handed to her in a flash by Yanagi, who had seen what she was trying to do. Fuuko raised an eyebrow at her, before taking the glass, her features darkening slightly. It went unnoticed to Yanagi, but not to Kagero. She knew that the brown-haired girl didn't like being treated like an invalid – or rather, that she didn't like being treated as though she was weak.

She shook her head. "Then…the question remains; how did you end up in the mansion?" Fuuko lowered the glass from her lips.

"I don't know," she admitted, "All I know was that when I woke up, I was in a really big, comfy room." She cocked her head to a side, "That's before I decided to go exploring."

"And that's where you bumped into Kurei?" Fuuko grimaced.

"Yeah…" Her green eyes glinted as she remembered all too well the warning he had given her, concerning her quest for the truth. At the same time, she remembered Recca's reaction when she had told them the story the _first_ time, and when he had found out that she had actually bumped into Kurei. His eyes had blazed in anger. And he had threatened to 'deal with' Kurei. "He didn't do anything to me…honest," she said, looking earnestly at the lady who was observing her from where she stood. "Well…nothing _awful_ or anything…" she added hastily, and truthfully.

Kagero observed her for a moment longer before sighing audibly. "I must admit…I don't understand any of this," she said, with a rueful smile on her face. "If he did kidnap you, then why would he just let you leave like that?" She shook her head. "Or rather, why would he let you leave without any serious injuries or anything of the sort that would prevent you from taking part in tomorrow's semi-finals?" Fuuko shrugged; that was what she had been thinking about too. Yanagi stared at the dark-haired woman thoughtfully.

"I just don't understand why he saved you from Mokuren…" she said, voicing the question that had been bothering her ever-since Fuuko had narrated the whole story to them. Kagero nodded; she _did_ have a point. Their attention was drawn to Fuuko as she shook her head vehemently – and as she groaned when pain seared through her neck for the briefest of moments.

"He didn't," she said, once the pain had disappeared. "How could you think he saved me from Mokuren?"

"But…Fuuko-chan, you said – " Yanagi looked at Kagero, her brows furrowed in confusion.

"Fuuko, you said he told Mokuren to release you, if I'm not mistaken…" said Kagero, softly. Fuuko nodded.

"Yeah, he did," she said.

"But…that doesn't make any sense," said Yanagi. "Mokuren wanted to finish you off, I'm sure…so…why would he save you from that?"

"He _didn't_ _save_ me from Mokuren!" exclaimed Fuuko, as Yanagi turned to her, her brown eyes widening.

"Fuuko-chan…if he told Mokuren to release you – "

"Yeah, he _said_ that, but that doesn't mean that he _saved_ me," interrupted Fuuko, her voice firm. She squirmed as she saw Kagero raise her eyebrows in her direction. "Look…_saving_ would be…I don't know…like how we saved you from the other mansion, Yanagi-chan…" she paused. "You know, about good people saving other good people from bad people?" She didn't notice the looks exchanged by the two other females in the room. "In _this_ case, it would have to be a bad person 'saving' a good person from another bad person. Which doesn't make sense, because that doesn't really happen in real life, does it?" She shook her head firmly. "Nah, Kurei didn't _save_ me from Mokuren."

"Then what exactly did he do?" asked Kagero. Fuuko bowed her head, shrugging again.

"I don't know…I'd say he stopped Mokuren from…doing whatever he planned on doing to me because if word got out about it, it would be _pretty_ obvious that it was Mokuren who did it…and then, if I had _died_ or something, everything would have pointed in _his_ direction, thus landing the Uruha in a scandal…and I guess he wanted to avoid all of that…" she said, fiddling with the hem of the new t-shirt she wore. "Yeah…that _must_ be it…" Yanagi opened her mouth, no doubt to gently tell the Fuujin-wielder that she was clearly not thinking properly, when Kagero interrupted her.

"Whatever it is, I don't think we should focus all our energy and time on it," she said, as reasonably as ever. "We're facing Uruha Ma tomorrow, and we know what they're capable of, don't we?" Fuuko nodded, her face darkening. "Good. Now, I know that I have no reason to _ask_ you this, Fuuko, but I want you to give me an honest answer; are you alright?"

Fuuko's head bobbed up and down slowly. "Yes." She never once turned her green eyes from Kagero's darker ones.

"You're not feeling bad? There's nothing that Yanagi-chan needs to heal?" Fuuko shook her head.

"Nope," she said. And it was the truth; all she had were a couple of bruises…and of course, the pain in her chest, but come _on,_ she had to expect _worse_ from tomorrow's set of matches. Having slept for a greater part of the day, she wasn't feeling ill at all. She just felt a bit tired, but she was sure that it would change after another hour or two of rest.

"That's a relief…" said Kagero, smiling and relaxing. "But, you _do_ realize that until we leave this place…you won't be allowed to go out on your own, don't you?" Her smile widened as she saw Fuuko's mouth drop open.

"Y-you can't do that!"

"Oh, _I'm_ not going to do that," said Kagero. "It's just that I don't see Recca or Domon-kun allowing you to go out alone." Fuuko closed her mouth.

"They're just going to have to accept the fact that I can take care of myself."

**The Uruha Mansion:**

"I am not in the mood to listen to any of your 'jokes' at the moment. If you have any information you think I should know, tell me, and go back to whatever it is that you were doing," said the dark-haired man from his place behind the desk, as the door to his study was opened. "Or better yet, _find_ something to occupy yourself with. Your services will only be required in a few days."

"My…_services_?" the door was closed silently. "Maa, that sounds _dirty_, Kurei-han…"

"………" all he received was an answer of complete silence, causing him to grin.

"And _when_ exactly would you require my," he coughed, "services?" He shook his head. "Or rather, _what_ 'services' are you talking about?"

"You know what I meant."

"Ahh…_do_ I?"

"_Yes._"

"Ne, Kurei-han – "

" – _Joker_ – " growled the Uruha leader, as he finally raised his head from whatever it was that he had been looking at, to fix the Jyushinshuu warrior with a hard look. "If it's not important, if it doesn't concern the Urabutousatsujin, I _don't want to know."_ Joker tried looking hurt, but knew that it wouldn't work.

"I think it is important, Kurei-han…" he said, his voice becoming subdued, losing its cheerfulness. It was this that caught Kurei's attention, causing him to continue gazing at the Jyushinshuu member.

"Yes?"

"It's about…Fuuko-han." The Uruha leader wasn't known as the master of concealing his emotions for nothing as he fought the urge to raise his eyebrows at the mention of the name.

"What about her?" His tone hardened somewhat. "And I see you called her 'Fuuko-_han_.' I hope you are not getting too close to the Hokage, Joker…" Joker cocked his head to a side.

"Is that…a _foreign_ note I detect in your voice, Kurei-han?"

"You were saying…?"

"…She was not trespassing when she was in the mansion earlier, Kurei-han. She _was_ telling the truth." There was a tense silence in the room, as Kurei continued to stare at him. Joker sighed, audibly. "Kai-han and I were walking back, from the arena, when we saw her lying unconscious close to the mansion. I think she had just collapsed out of fatigue and not because she was attacked or anything." He paused again. "I was the one who brought her to the mansion, because I thought it…was necessary."

The tense silence thickened in the study, as the two men looked at each other. "_You _brought her here."

"Yes."

"…Why?"

"I didn't think it fit to leave a young woman unconscious on the road."

"And yet, if I had asked you to kidnap a _young woman_, you would do it, without any regard for her well-being?"

"Ah, I would kidnap her, but I would try and make sure that I do not harm her while carrying out the task."

"Knowing she is an enemy, you still saw it fit to bring her here?"

"…I cannot deny that, can I?"

"And Kai?"

"Told me I was being stupid."

"…You did not tell me about this before, because…?"

"Well, to tell you the truth, I didn't plan on telling you at all. It was only when I found the room I kept her in empty that I realized she was probably wondering around. And that you would have to be told…" The Uruha leader stood up, pushing his chair away from his desk, and moved around it until he was standing before the tall man.

"You realize the trouble it could have caused us? Had something happened to her?"

"Hai…" He stared at his team-mate, an impassive expression on his face.

"And Neon?"

"Neon-han?"

"What did she have to do with this?"

"Neon-han had absolutely nothing to do with it. I only told her what I did when Fuuko-han was safely asleep in the room I put her in."

"So…she knew about it and did not bother informing me…?" Deep-blue eyes glinted.

"…She had a reason."

"…Oh?"

"I asked, no, begged her not to." As the tension continued to build, the funnily dressed man let out a soft laugh. "You know how loyal she is to you, Kurei-han. I'm actually really surprised that she listened to me and agreed not to tell you…at least, for a while." His lie was smooth – enough to satisfy the man, he hoped.

"I see." The silence was almost stifling. "Move away from the door, Joker." The tall man obeyed the order, as he walked to his right, away from the door. He stood eerily still, his usual cheeriness completely gone, as he held his trident loosely in his right hand.

"…Hmpf – " he reeled backwards with the impact of the other man's punch. Catching his breath, he stood straight once more, gracefully taking the beating he was on the receiving end of. He was sent crashing into the wall with the next blow, and the onslaught didn't stop for a moment. It continued for a few minutes, with Joker refusing to meet the other man's eye. This was probably a good thing, for if he had, he would have seen the weariness in the man's eyes as he continued with the beating. His madougu was knocked onto the ground, and he made no move to retrieve it, knowing that this was one instance he would not be using it in.

A few minutes later, it seemed as though the beating had stopped. Joker managed to pull himself together, as he stood straight with his head bowed. He heard the jingle of bangles, the oh-so-familiar sound that usually preceded the summoning of Kurenai and held his ground, not moving a muscle even as he sensed the slightly shorter man move closer.

The Uruha leader's pale hand sneaked up and roughly pulled his face down, so that it was level with his own. And yet, Joker did and said nothing. The grip on his face was definitely going to leave a bruise – not that it would be seen under his hat.

"You are not a good liar," hissed the Uruha leader, causing Joker to raise his lowered eyes to meet his. Kurei stared hard into the bright orbs that were visible under the Joker-hat his team-mate wore. "…I am tempted to punish _her_ too…" The bright orbs widened. "But I do not see the point in that…"

"And neither do I, Kurei-han…" With a last probing glance, he released his grip. Joker did not move away.

"Is there anything else you wish to say…?"

"…Only that I do not think my actions were wrong."

"…_Oh?_"

"That is, concerning leaving unconscious young-women on the roads at night, Kurei-han…" There was a barely audible sigh, and the wielder of the Taishaku Kaiten wondered if he had imagined it.

"You are just…impossible." Joker cocked his head to a side, not knowing whether to take it as a compliment or not. Well, it wouldn't hurt, would it?

"Why thank you, Kurei-han." He was not at all disturbed by the glare sent his way.

"Now go; I am not in the mood for you and your antics…" Nodding, Joker crouched down and, picking up his precious madougu, turned, heading for the door. Sensing the familiar presence in the room however, he paused. _So, he's back from his mission…_ A cheeky grin found itself on his face as he turned to face the Uruha leader.

"I hope you enjoyed my _services_, Kurei-han…" he said, lowering his voice to an almost husky one. "Feel free to tell me when you next need them. Present for you!" With a big grin on his face, he hurriedly disappeared from the study, leaving an exasperated Uruha leader behind.

"You must admit, he does bring humour to this place…"

"_Some_ of that humour we can do without," said the Uruha leader, dryly. "_I_ can do without…" There was a soft chuckle as the ninja made himself visible to his master. He bowed his head.

"But…you did not like what you had to do…did you?" He smiled at the cold glare that was being sent his way. "You did not like having to punish him, but to keep the discipline level strong, you _had_ to. Especially since so many people, like Kai and Neon knew about what happened, and when Magensha and Mokuren knew bits and pieces…"

"And I suppose it would be useless on my part to ask how _you_ know about it?"

"…I ran into Neon on the way…"

"Ah."

"Do not trouble yourself, Kurei-sama. Joker will bear no grudge; he _knew_ that he would be punished. Knowing him, he will forget about it by tomorrow."

"I don't know what you're talking about," said Kurei, shooting him a dark look, although he knew that the ninja was right. Joker would understand…that he _had_ to do what he did. It would not do for him to lose the handful of people who were still loyal to him.

"The task is complete, Kurei-sama."

"Good," said the Uruha leader, as he turned and headed back to his desk, not too interested as the task had been something his father had wanted done. He sat down on his chair, and relaxed somewhat. "The semi-finals begin tomorrow…" The faithful ninja stood opposite him, choosing not to say anything. "I wonder…will Recca and his team get through…?"

"It is difficult to guess, Kurei-sama…for Uruha Ma is _not_ like any other team that they have faced in this tournament…" The Uruha leader nodded.

"That's true," agreed. "I cannot help but hope, however, that they _will_ defeat Magensha…it would save me a lot of trouble…" The long-haired ninja nodded.

"Even if they do not manage it, Kurei-sama, you have but to give us the word and we will dispose of Magensha for you…"

"I won't need to do that; _I_ will take care of him myself…" said Kurei. _You would like to face him once more, would you not, Jisho?_ "Having said that, we should not count Hokage out of the tournament yet; they have managed to get _this_ far, after all…" He shook his head inwardly. "Tomorrow's round of semi-finals should be interesting…" _Let's see how you face more experienced fighters, Recca…_

**Hokage Apartment:**

Smiling at the sleeping forms of Yanagi and Kagero, Fuuko tiptoed out of the room she shared with them, thanking the higher powers that she did not bump into anything on the way. That was what usually happened to her; whenever she tried sneaking out, whenever she thought she had succeeded, she just _managed_ to bump into something that either fell to the ground with a crash, or into something that caused her excruciating pain, causing her to yelp. Needless to say, she had trouble sneaking out. But, she thought as she grinned, it looked like this time was going to be different.

"AARGH!"

"ACK!"

"…Fuuko-neechan?"

"K-Koganei?" _OK, so maybe I also manage to bump into some_one_ who yelps._ "What're you doing up at this time?"

"I could ask you the same thing, neechan…" It was dark, so she couldn't really see anything of the boy except for his silhouette, but she could just picture the mischievous glint in his eyes. She swatted his head, earning a yelp which she quickly muffled with her other hand.

"_Shhh_, they'll _hear_ us!"

"Bwap whap are bwyou bwdoing bwup – "

" – I don't understand _what_ you're saying, kiddo, and no, I'm not taking my hand off your mouth until we're out of this place." With that, she headed for where she knew the front door was, taking extra care not to bump into anything, or anyone. Somehow, she managed to make it to the door without making any noise – if she excluded Koganei waving his arms around trying to tell her _something_, which she ignored – and, still keeping a hand firmly over the brown-haired kid's mouth, she managed to quietly unlock the door. Closing it quietly behind her, she waited until she was a good distance down the corridor before releasing her teammate.

He immediately scowled at her. "What're you _doing?_ You're not supposed to be wandering around at this time in the night – or morning, whatever it is!" exclaimed Koganei, crossing his arms over his chest. "_Plus,_ we left the front door – oof – _neechan!"_ He was suddenly thrust into the lift and could only stare as the doors closed. Fuuko smirked at the look on Koganei's face.

"Cheer up, will ya, it's not like I'm gonna bite or anything…" she said, sighing when she saw Koganei's glare, before it turned into a semi-reprimanding/semi-embarrassed look.

"You shouldn't be walking around dressed like that…" Fuuko raised her eyebrows at him as she glanced down at her somewhat skimpy sleeveless top and rather short, dark shorts.

"I'll walk around dressed in whatever I want," she said, "And it's not like _you're_ dressed too smartly either…" she pointed at Koganei's baggy shorts and vest.

"That's different – no pervert's going to be staring at _me_!"

"Yeah? Well no pervert's going to be staring at me either!"

"Yes they will, and you _know_ it!"

"I _don't_ know it – stop making such a big deal out of this…"

"Fine then; but you'll realize when you bump into someone like Fujimaru." He saw the girl's face change slightly, before she shot him a sweet smile.

"If I bump into someone like that pervert…well, let's just say that they won't even be _thinking_ of women for a while." The worst part about what she said wasn't the strange, scary gleam that entered her green eyes. No, it was the fact that Koganei could practically _picture_ her carrying out her threat. He gulped.

"Well, that's…good, I guess…" The lift doors suddenly opened, bringing them to the lobby. "Neechan, why are we here?" Fuuko looked thoughtful for a moment, before shrugging.

"I don't know." She saw the boy sweat-drop. "Well, I needed to go outside…just walk around…get some fresh air…you don't know how horrid it gets when you're stuck inside that apartment for practically a whole day!" Koganei couldn't help but grin as they walked out of the building.

"I can imagine," he said, sympathetically. He had to admit that the cool air felt refreshing as they stepped outside. The area was lit by street-lights. Gazing up at the sky, he saw that most of the stars were hidden by clouds. Letting out a small sigh, Fuuko turned to him.

"What were you doing up, walking around anyway?" Koganei refused to meet her eye. "Koganei?"

"I couldn't sleep…" he mumbled. Fuuko smiled openly. _Oh Koganei…if you only knew how many people use that excuse to hide why they're actually up. Why, I'm sure I must've used it at least a dozen times on Yanagi-chan and Kagero-san since we started the tournament…_

She reached out and lifted his chin, so he had no choice but to meet her eyes. "Out with it, kiddo…"

"It's stupid…really…"

"So? We're pretty stupid, I guess, to come out at this time of the night – or morning, or whatever it is…"

"I was…well, I was just thinking about tomorrow…"

"Geez…and you think you're the _only_ one, kiddo?"

"I don't want to lose, neechan…I don't want to lose a match…and I don't want to lose Yanagi-chan either…" He bowed his head, although Fuuko forced him to look at her again.

"Koganei, even if you _do_ lose a match, don't make such a big deal of it," she said. "Yes, we all have our pride, and we'd hate it if we lost a single match, but…well, it happens sometimes. There's nothing we can do to stop it."

"But I _won't_ lose tomorrow!"

"Koganei, that's not what you're really worried about, is it…?" Fuuko gave him a soft smile. "You think that you _have_ to win, not just to keep Yanagi-chan safe. You think that you still have something to prove; to _us_." She saw the startled look on Koganei's face. "Am I right, or am I right?" she asked, teasingly.

"Neechan…"

"You fought for us in the second round, when Domon and I couldn't…and you _won_. You may not have fought in the third round, but we knew that you were by our side, no matter what happens. Do you think we'd forget that, Koganei?" There was a slight pause. "No, we'll never _ever_ forget it, kiddo. Yes, you were trained by the Uruha, and _yes,_ you helped in Yanagi-chan's kidnapping…but hey, it's all in the past, isn't it?" Koganei tried looking away, but he couldn't as she still had her hand under his chin. "When Recca made Yanagi-chan his Hime, I was annoyed…and I tried attacking her…and here I am, ready to put _my life_ on the line if it will save hers." She shook her head. "The past is the past, kiddo. We can't change it, but we can _learn_ from it. And we sure as hell can put it behind us and move forward." Letting go of his chin, she tweaked his nose playfully. "So stop being silly, and cheer up!"

Koganei stared at the ground for a moment or two, thinking hard about what she said. Before Fuuko even had the chance to react, he threw his arms around her waist, burying his face in the soft material of her sleeveless stop. A softer, gentle look appeared on the girl's face as she wrapped her hands around him.

**At the same time:**

"I don't know _where_ that idiot's gone…honestly! You'd _think_ that he wouldn't be out doing something _stupid_ again!" growled the striking, fiery-haired young-woman as she virtually stomped down the dark road. The dim street-lights didn't help to keep back the darkness of the night. "_Why_ can't he do something sensible, for _once_ in his life?"

Her dark-haired companion chuckled as he listened to her, having grown rather used to her outbursts over the years he had associated with her. "If I didn't know any better, Neon, I'd say you're _worried_…" He merely smiled at the death-glare she sent his way.

"First he goes and gets himself punished by doing something _stupid_ and he's probably doing something stupid as we speak…" grumbled Neon, shaking her head with an exasperated sigh. "I – I give up…I don't know _what_ to do with him…"

"Come on, Neon, he's not _that_ bad; it's not like he gets himself in trouble _purposely_…" He cocked his head to a side. "Well, not _all_ the time…" He resigned himself to listening to his teammate as she continued to rant; amusedly noting that she _did_ care for his welfare; in her own unique way. Of course, she'd probably punch him to Pluto and back if and when they found him…but she still cared.

Seeing two figures on the road up ahead, right outside the apartment complex, he moved, taking Neon with him, so that they were both using the shade provided by the trees on either side of the road. The two figures would not be able to spot them unless the two Jyushinshuu teammates wanted themselves to be seen.

"What are – " Neon stopped, seeing the two figures. She squinted her blue eyes, making out one short figure, and another slightly taller one. "What – " she paused as they continued walking, sticking to the cover of the trees. "Isn't that…?" Raiha nodded.

"It's Koganei…" he said, his voice soft. Neon turned back to the figures.

"Who's the other one then…? And, what's he doing outside at _this_ time? Doesn't he have a match tomorrow, against Uruha Ma?" Raiha nodded, feeling an odd, warm sensation crawl through his stomach as he recognized the other figure. He hadn't realized that he had stopped walking, with the pair a couple of hundred metres in front of him and Neon.

"She has a match tomorrow as well…" he said. "Fuuko-san…"

**Meanwhile:**

When Koganei pulled back from the embrace, there was a tinge of red on his cheeks. He hadn't meant to throw himself on Fuuko like that – hadn't meant to seem so weak…it had just happened. Fuuko, realizing this, whacked him lightly on the back of the head.

"Baka, there's nothing to be embarrassed about," she said. "We all have fears we need to let go of every now and then…" She was rewarded with a familiar toothy smile.

"Hai, neechan…" Koganei ran a hand through his spiky hair. "Argh, Recca-niichan is going to kill me when he finds out that I let you drag me out here…we're all supposed to keep an eye on you now…"

Fuuko glared at him. "There's no need for _anyone_ to keep an eye on me," she growled out. "Geez…I have the Fuujin for a reason, you know!" Koganei grinned at her again.

"And _where_ is the Fuujin right now?" Fuuko's glare increased.

"I don't exactly see your Kougan Anki anywhere near you either!"

"I was talking about the Fuujin!"

"And _I_ am talking about the Kougan Anki!"

"…We're out here, in the middle of the night…without our madougu…"

"We really are a bunch of dimwits, aren't we?" asked Fuuko, laughing. "If only Recca and Mi-chan found out about this; I can already imagine the lecture Mi-chan will have planned for us…" Koganei grinned.

"I can imagine Recca-niichan _trying_ to follow Mikagami-niichan's example and failing horribly." The teammates shared a rare moment of laughter as they thought of the two individuals they had just mentioned.

"Oi! Koganei-kun! Fuuko-han!" The two Hokage fighters whirled around, prepared for whatever was coming, but soon relaxed when they saw the familiar tall and oddly dressed figure approaching them. "What're you two doing out at this time?" He wagged a finger in Koganei's direction. "Isn't it _way_ past your bedtime, Koganei-han?"

"Joker – "

" – I do _not_ have a 'bedtime' and I do _not_ need one!" Fuuko shook her head at Koganei's outburst, before turning back to Joker, who was grinning.

"What are _you_ doing out here at this time?" Joker shot her one of his enigmatic smiles from under the hat that covered virtually most of his face.

"Just wandering around…" he said. "Things have become rather…boring as of late, I think…" Fuuko sweat-dropped.

"Boring? We're in the Urabutousatsujin and you find things _boring?_" she questioned, her eyebrows raised. "That's something new." Joker chuckled.

"I just like to be entertained, Fuuko-han…" he said, cheekily, causing Fuuko to roll her eyes at him, understanding the suggestive meaning behind his words.

"Hey, Joker, did you find your teammates?" asked Koganei, suddenly, as he remembered what the man had told them a couple of days ago.

"My teammates…?"

"Hai…" Joker looked lost.

"What teammates – oh…" Fuuko herself turned to Joker. "Remember? The teammates you told us you had lost in the crowd…?"

"Ahahaha! _Those_ teammates!" Joker scratched the back of his head as he laughed, sheepishly. "Yep! I found them; and they weren't too pleased that I lost them…oh well. Not _my_ fault…" He turned his attention to Fuuko. "Ne, Fuuko-han, should you really be out dressed in…that?" Fuuko, once more, looked down at her outfit before fixing him with a stern look.

"What is _wrong_ with you men!" she asked, crossing her arms over her chest. "Am I supposed to wear some long, ankle-length skirt, and a long-sleeved, high-collared blouse and – " she narrowed her emerald eyes. "What's so funny?"

"Nothing," chuckled Joker, not quite able to stop himself.

"What's so _funny!_"

"Nothing."

"What is_ so funny, _you _lunatic?_"

"N – nothing…"

"JOKER!" As Koganei watched Fuuko grab Joker by his collar and shake him silly, he could not help but frown. This man…dressed in a ridiculous Joker costume, was one of the most mysterious people he had ever meant. And considering the time he spent at the Uruha mansion that was saying something. His attitude – cheerful, light-hearted and always grinning – went well with the costume he wore…but there was something about him…something that…well, made him slightly uncomfortable. They knew next to _nothing_ about him, except for the fact that he had saved Menou-chan when the stadium had been falling apart during Neon's battle in the third round, and that he had lost his teammates. Who _were_ his teammates? What was that odd-looking trident-thingy that he carried around with him? Why did he just introduce himself as 'Joker' without giving the proper name he surely _had_ to have? It was confusing the 13 year old boy, but at the same time…he felt as though there was some likeness, some thing or the other that the two of them had in common…

"You OK, Koganei-kun?" The fanged-grin that the enigmatic individual shot him was returned with another fanged-grin from Koganei. _Well, whoever he is…I'm sure he can't be bad…_ Pausing in her actions for a moment, Fuuko found her eyes widening as she glanced from the grinning Joker to the grinning Koganei. Their grins…the expressions on their faces…they were – _identical._

"That's weird…" she muttered, flushing when the two men turned to look at her.

"What's weird?"

"Neechan?"

"Uh…the fact that you two…well, you two are kind of…similar…you know?" The two men exchanged glances again, before grinning.

"We do?"

"Humph, I don't think I resemble some stupid grinning idiot, with a _bad_ taste in fashion…"

"Koganei-kun! How _could_ you! I'm _hurt!_" Koganei just stuck his tongue out at the taller man, who waved his trident around in protest. "You think _I_ like being compared to a 13 year old brat?"

"What did you say!" And before they could start fighting, Fuuko grabbed Koganei by the back of his shirt, stopping Joker with a fist to his face.

"Fuuko-han…that hurt…!" groaned Joker.

"Gomen, but I can't afford to let Koganei get injured _now_…" said Fuuko, raising her eyebrows as Joker continued to moan. "Oh _grow up_."

**At the same time:**

Raiha and Neon stood where they were, different expressions on their faces as a chilly breeze blew around them, rustling the leaves of the trees whose cover they were standing in.

"I…_don't_ believe him…" was all that Neon could bring herself to say as she watched the three figures talk.

"Neither do I," agreed Raiha, "Then again, I guess that's what makes him a Joker…right?"

"What does he think he's doing? He's talking to them. Doesn't he remember that he got into trouble in the first place for bringing _her_ to the mansion? Does he really like getting himself into trouble?" Raiha could not help but smile as he turned to look at her.

"Is that…_jealousy_ that I detect in your voice, Neon?"

"Shut-up!"

"Maa, no need to look at me like that…" Neon clicked her tongue as she saw the Fuujin-wielder wrap her arms around herself.

"And, honestly, look at her, dressed like that. Does she _really_ wonder why perverts love coming after her?"

"What's wrong with the way she's dressed?" Raiha flushed scarlet as Neon fixed him with a long stare, before a smile tugged on her lips.

"I _see_…so _that's_ why…"

"I _meant_ that…well, it's nighttime; maybe that's what she, uh…wears when she's sleeping…?" He didn't like the evil glint that appeared in his friend's eyes. "And…well, I'm sure – "

" – That maybe so, but she should have more sense than to come out into the open dressed like that," said Neon, shooting the ninja a sly smile. "But I'm sure _you_ don't mind…" Raiha held his hands in front of him, defensively.

"I am not interested in her in _that_ sense, Neon," he said.

"Oh? So you _are_ interested…?"

"Yes!" Raiha fought the urge to kick himself. "_Because_ of the madougu that she possesses; you know that the Raijin is the evil counterpart of Fuuko-san's Fuujin. We are destined to cross paths in the future, somehow, to decide which madougu is the more powerful one…" He took a deep breath. "_That's_ why I'm interested in her; I'd really like her to stay healthy and in good shape until the day comes when we pit our skills against each other."

His tone was serious, and Neon could tell that he was telling the truth. And yet…she knew that there was something, a little something more to it, and she knew that he knew it too; he just didn't want to admit it. _Well, if he doesn't want to think about it, I won't make him. I just hope that…he doesn't fall in love with her. If he does…_Neon shuddered, _he will have to suffer, for she is, after all, an enemy…_

"If you say so, Raiha…" she said, before turning her attention back to the three people they had been…watching.

**Meanwhile:**

"Uh…I think I'm going to go in now…" said Fuuko, as she listened absently to the argument Koganei and Joker were currently involved in. It was a bit too cold for her liking, and she did want to at least get an hour or two of sleep before they started their match. Koganei broke off the argument as he glanced at her.

"I'm coming too…" he said.

"I'll come too!" Joker winced as Fuuko bonked him on the head. "Che…alright then, I'll just…stay here…" Fuuko shook her head at him, exasperated. She really didn't get this guy.

"We'll see you around then, Joker…" she said, flashing him a quick smile. The tall man nodded fervently.

"Hai!" he said, "Good luck, Koganei-kun…I hope you get through your match easily!" Koganei snorted.

"Of course I will baka!"

"You too, Fuuko-han," said Joker, before tapping her lightly on the head with his trident. "Present for you!" he yelled, before merrily sauntering away. Yelling a few obscenities at his back, Fuuko rubbed her head.

"Man, that guy is just confusing." Koganei nodded.

"And there's something about him…I don't know, something's missing, don't you think?" Fuuko looked thoughtful for a while before she snorted.

"Yeah, something _is_ missing," she agreed. "His sanity." Koganei grinned. "C'mon, let's go…its cold…" She was stopped when Koganei grabbed her hand. "What?"

"When you were in the mansion…nothing…nothing happened to you, right?" Fuuko raised an eyebrow at him. "I mean…Kurei – he didn't do anything to you, did he?"

"Koganei, for the hundredth time – "

" – neechan, please, I want to know."

"…See these bruises around my neck, Koganei? Well, he's responsible for that; he was probably trying to show me who had the upper-hand." Fuuko shook her head, refraining from adding the bit about Neon. "And I was a bit sore after my training session with Recca. No, Koganei, Kurei didn't…do anything too bad to me. It was Mokuren who _tried_…but failed." She could have sworn that the kid let out a sigh of relief.

"Oh…" he said. There was a rather awkward silence around them for a moment or two. "Let's go in then, shall we?" Nodding, Fuuko followed him.

**A/N**

Ok, once again, I wasn't able to use the 'add ruler' option in the Document Manager...and it's not annoying me! Aaargh...how come this is happening?

Hmm…looking back at what I've written…it seems to me that the chapter centers more around the Uruha…or is that just me? Oh well. I'm not really sure if I'll include the fight scenes from the semi-finals against Uruha Ma…because I don't really like writing fighting-scenes. Or rather, I'm not too good at writing them. Ahem, but I'll see about that…

By the way, can anyone tell me what Joker calls Koganei? I mean, from what I can remember, during the SODOM arc, in Joker's last battle sniff, it's UNFAIR! didn't he call him 'Koganei-kun?' or was it 'Koganei-han?' I honestly couldn't remember, so I just used 'Koganei-kun.' Don't you just love Joker? It's a pity that he had to…meet the end he did. Oh well…

That's it for chapter six! Hope you'll bear with me until the next update!

See ya!

Siriusgirl1


	7. Confused Thoughts

**A/N**

Oh man, how long has it been since I've updated? Yes, I know, it's been quite a while and I _do_ apologize. I guess…I don't know, what with my exams finishing, and just…getting used to the free time and stuff, I guess that kind of made me…lazy?

Anyway, thanks to everyone who reviewed and who I didn't get to thank before. Hope you haven't lost interest in this fic.

I'm not sure if I've said this before, but I'm using bits and pieces from _both_ the manga and the anime versions of 'Flame of Recca'. Which is why I included the bit about Kurei being present before the Hokage started their semi-final round –which _does_ take place in the anime, but not in the manga. And a few other bits too…hope everyone's okay with that!

Well…that's about it. On to the chapter! Hope you enjoy it!

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**Confused Thoughts:**

"Alright, everyone, this is _it_." Recca paused, taking his time to stare at each of his Hokage teammates. "The last hurdle; if we get through _this_…well, I'm sure I don't need to tell you what'll happen."

Domon shook his head as he cracked his knuckles. "Let's not think that far, Hanabishi," he cautioned. "We should just worry about getting through this round."

"Was it just me, or did Domon just say something that…has a point?" questioned Fuuko, as she tugged at the bottom of the sleeveless top that she wore. Yanagi giggled as she caught the injured look that the big-made boy sent the Fuujin-wielder.

"Who will be taking part in this round?" questioned Mikagami, quietly. "The opposing team has four fighters, whereas we have five." The five Hokage fighters glanced at each other, surprised that they hadn't thought of that before.

It was Recca, it seemed, who came up with the quickest decision. And Fuuko didn't like the way he glanced at her before turning to answer Mikagami.

"It's simple," he said, quickly. "Fuuko-"

"-Will be _fighting_ this time," interrupted Fuuko, earning herself a glare from her best-friend. "Don't look at me like that. Whether you like it or not, I'm going to be fighting."

Recca scowled. "Fuuko I don't think-"

"-I don't _care_, Recca; get _that_ into your head," snapped Fuuko. She turned her attention back to Mikagami. "So, Mi-chan, the question is…_who_ will be staying away from taking part in this round?"

Mikagami stared at her for a moment, before shrugging. "Sort it out amongst yourselves, I don't really care." Recca did not glare at his long-haired teammate, as he usually would have done. He was more content with scowling at Fuuko.

"Listen, Fuuko, you're still recovering from-" the brunette whirled around to face him, "-whatever it was that Kurei did to you at the Uruha mansion-"

"-For the love of _god_, Recca, he didn't do _anything_ to me!" exclaimed Fuuko, a scowl forming on her own face. "What am I going to have to do to make you understand that?!"

"It's _Kurei, _Fuuko. How can you honestly expect me to believe that he didn't do anything to you while you were there? Heck, we don't even know how you _ended_ up in the Uruha mansion in the first place. It _had_ to have been Kurei, who planned it all so that we would-"

"-_Why_ are you jumping to conclusions like this?! When you don't even know-" Kagero stepped in between the heavily scowling pair, clearing her throat as she did so.

"That's enough, Recca, Fuuko," she said, shooting them both stern glances.

"But Kachan-"

"-I said that's _enough_, Recca," interrupted Kagero, a stern edge entering her voice. "I do not think that _any_ of us are in the mood to tolerate any more of this foolish bickering. We've had enough bickering when you and Mikagami-kun were at odds before, so just…spare us." Shifting her gaze to Mikagami, Kagero gave him a brisk nod. "To answer your question, Mikagami-kun, I _would_ say that it's up to you to decide who stays out of this round," she glanced pointedly in the direction of her son. "But since you don't seem capable of doing that, _I'll_ make the decision myself."

Recca shook his head. "Kachan, you don't understand, I don't want Fuuko to-"

"-Fuuko is not some porcelain doll who you can keep protected all the time, Recca," insisted Kagero, sharply. "Unlike Yanagi-chan, Fuuko _fights_. She is one of our strongest fighters, so I do not think that there is a need for you to always be…shielding her from battles." She sighed. "Domon-kun, Mikagami-kun…which one of you would like to stay out of this round?"

"Eh???!" exclaimed Domon, his eyes going wide. "_Me???_" Mikagami looked a little bit surprised as well.

"…Why does it have to be one of us?" he questioned, slowly.

"Recca has to take part since he is the leader of Hokage," explained Kagero, "And Fuuko hasn't had a fight since…well, her first round match with Fujimaru-"

"-And that wasn't exactly a _proper_ fight," muttered Fuuko.

"Koganei didn't take part in the earlier round, so I feel that he should do so in this," finished Kagero, sighing at the interruption. "You, Mikagami-kun, have taken part in each of the three rounds we have had so far…and Domon-kun has two matches under his belt. So it's only fair if one of you sits out this round."

Domon shook his head. "Not me, Kagero-sama!" he protested vehemently. "I only have _one_ match under my belt, the one in the first round. In case you've forgotten, the match against Aki that I _won_, well, I was disqualified, wasn't I?" He shot Recca and Mikagami dark looks. "When I went to save _their_ sorry asses?"

"Ah." Kagero looked thoughtful for a moment. "He's right…" She glanced apologetically at Mikagami. "Mikagami-kun…?"

The wielder of the Ensui was quiet for a while, before he shrugged.

"Whatever," he said. "I'll stay out of this round." But he didn't look very pleased about it.

"That's good," started Yanagi softly, as she moved to stand beside the long-haired male. "That way, you can be well-rested if we enter the finals…ne, Mikagami-sempai?" Once again, Mikagami's displeased expression softened as he stared down at the…mirror image of his sister.

"…Hai," he muttered, for her to hear. Yanagi rewarded him with a big smile –which Recca didn't seem to find amusing.

"I thought I told you to stay away from-"

"-Can we just _get on_ with this?" questioned Koganei, who had remained quiet while the rest of the team had had their discussion. Kagero shot him a quick smile.

"Koganei-kun's right; we should get going." She motioned everyone to the door that led out into the ring. "Good luck, minna." Recca, who had taken a few steps forward, stopped as he listened to his mother.

"Eh? Aren't you coming with us, Kachan?" Kagero shook her head, looking a little bit sheepish.

"Iie," she said, "I…was asked to be the co-commentator for this round…" She sweat-dropped as she saw the expression on her son's face. "Never mind me, Recca, _go_."

"Hai!" She watched as the team had entered the ring, a semi-worried expression on her face. They had all seen what their opponents were capable of doing, and, although she hadn't mentioned it in fear of demoralizing them or appearing pessimistic, she _was_ worried about the outcome of this round.

_Just do your best, everyone…_

* * *

The roars from the crowd were deafening as Team Hokage walked into the arena, although _this_ time, there _were_ quite a lot of people who 'booed' them, clearly favoring Uruha Ma's chances at winning the semi-final round.

"Mou, couldn't you have gotten us _better_ seats?" moaned a fair-haired male, from where he and his comrades were seated at the very back of the arena.

One of his comrades shrugged. "Sorry, but this was the best that I could do," he said, apologetically.

"It doesn't matter," added another male, "It's not like this is going to be anything worthwhile anyway…Uruha Ma's definitely going to win."

"What? How can you say that?"

"Have you seen Uruha Ma in action? They're bloody awesome!"

"And have you seen _Hokage_ in action? They're not too shabby either!"

"Will the two of you just shut up?"

What none of the men saw was the dark-haired, masked figure standing behind them; the dark-haired, masked figure who was gazing intently at the ring, as Team Hokage awaited the entrance of Uruha Ma. He paid no attention to the men's conversation, as his thoughts were focused on the team…the team whose members _desperately_ wanted to enter the final round, and, if possible, defeat his Uruha Kurenai.

He couldn't, no…he refused to be over-confident, or cocky enough to state that the Hokage didn't have a _chance _against Uruha Kurenai, should they end up meeting in the finals. It might be true, but he wasn't going to block out the possibility, slight though it was, of the Hokage causing a great upset and defeating him and his team.

_This is your last test, Recca…your last chance to prove yourself worthy of facing Uruha Kurenai in the finals. Do you think that you can pull off a victory here? _

Raucous laughter from the group of men in front of the masked man snapped him out of his thoughts as he automatically focused his attention on them.

"You think _he's_ the most interesting person in the team? What about the chick…the brunette chick?"

"Huh? She doesn't fight, you _idiot_. I mean, yeah, she's cute and all, but she just…stays on the sidelines, yeah?"

"What? She doesn't –oh. No, you idiot, I mean the _other_ brunette chick. The one who can kick ass!"

"Ahh…you mean the one who was stripped of her clothes –well, almost all of her clothes- in that first round match?"

"Yeah, her."

"Oh, she's _hot_."

The masked man didn't need to hear any more to figure out who exactly the fools were talking about. His eyes narrowed as he contemplated what they had said. _'The one who was stripped of her clothes…'_ It seemed that _that_ was the way most people remembered the brown-haired Fuujin-wielder of the Hokage. True, that _was_ the only match she had had so far in the tournament…but he would have thought that they'd remember her for her cool behaviour, and for ultimately taking control of the situation. Or even for sending the idiot from Ku flying with the super punch she had dealt out to him.

It almost seemed a pity that she was only remembered for what had happened to her clothes –or rather, for what had _almost_ happened to her clothes. Ah, but then again, most of the spectators were perverted men, so it was only natural, wasn't it?

_Not that I care,_ he told himself, mentally. If this had taken place a couple of days ago, perhaps before the Urabutousatsujin had even _started_…well, the usually dormant voice in his head would have _stayed_ dormant, instead of correcting him, which it did, by saying, _really? Are you sure that you don't care?_

Of course he didn't care; the Fuujin wielder was nothing short of an annoying insect. Why else did she prey on his mind, making him wonder what she was up to? It wasn't _his_ fault that she was interested in his past –and that she knew quite a lot about it too, which was something he'd like her to _keep to herself_, as opposed to telling any of her teammates. No, on the contrary, it was _her_ fault. Why couldn't she just state her purpose behind…prying into his life? Why did she have to attempt to lie, to cover up, by just shrugging and saying that it was just because she was _'curious'_?

More importantly, why was he even thinking about _her_ at that moment? Hadn't he decided to 'drop in' for some other purpose, as opposed to dwelling on Hokage's sole female fighter?

_Although, I _do_ wonder..._he frowned, _Kirisawa Fuuko…will you be able to prove to these spectators that there is more to you than a near-perfect figure and womanly assets?_

He froze almost immediately, as his mind registered the question he had formed in it. _Near-perfect…figure? Womanly assets…?_ Snarling under his breath, he shot Team Hokage one last smoldering glare before abruptly turning on his heel and stalking away.

He had more important things to do, than wonder about frail, high-school girls.

_Though, she is most certainly _not_ as frail as…well, she's not 'frail' at all._

A curse slipped out of his mouth, and he quickened his pace.

* * *

"Where are they? Shouldn't they be here by now?" wondered Domon, as he and his friends stood in the ring only to find that no-one from Uruha Ma was present.

"Are they trying to go for a dramatic entrance?" mused Fuuko, glancing warily around the arena. "Because if they _are_…I just think it's a waste of time."

Yanagi nodded at her friend's comment, although she was unusually jumpy as well. "Maybe-" she stopped abruptly when she saw Recca stiffen, and clench his hands into fists. "-Recca-kun?" He didn't answer her; all he did was raise his head with his eyes narrowed threateningly. "Recca-kun…is something…wrong?"

Recca nodded, the dark expression never leaving his face. "He's here."

"Eh?" Yanagi looked a little worried. "Who's here, Recca-kun?"

"Kurei."

"H-here?" Now Yanagi was _extremely _worried, as she glanced nervously around her. It wasn't her fault that she was always unnaturally jumpy wherever the Uruha leader was concerned; her encounters with him hadn't exactly been pleasant after all.

As though sensing her unease, Recca turned to her with a smile on her face. "It's alright hime," he said, as reassuringly as he could. "It'll be okay. He won't be able to do anything to you. Not when I'm around." Yanagi shook her head, a small smile on her lips.

"I know he won't," she said, "If he _did_ want to do anything like that, he'd have done it a long time ago…" She sighed. "But, I wonder, what's he doing here?"

Recca shrugged. "He's probably here to try and frighten us or something…" he snorted. "Like _that's_ going to happen!" His face darkened once more. "He's lucky that he didn't do anything serious to Fuuko…or I'd have-"

"Recca-kun, don't start this again," admonished Yanagi, gently, as she laid her hand on the ninja's arm. "Fuuko-chan said that he didn't do anything to her, and I don't see why she would have lied to all of us."

"Yeah," muttered Recca, "But…haven't you noticed anything, hime? Haven't you noticed anything different about her?"

"About Fuuko-chan?" The ninja nodded, sneaking a glance at the Fuujin-wielder and finding her deep in conversation with Koganei and Domon, while Mikagami just stood by them shaking his head. "Iie, I can't say I have…why do you ask?"

Recca sighed. "I dunno, maybe it's just me, but…the last couple of days…she's been acting strange." He frowned. "Ever since Neon told us about Kurenai…"

"Recca-kun I don't think-"

"-No, hime, it's true…she's been going on about Kurei and how he's a good person…and all of that crap."

"Recca-kun, she hasn't been saying _that_," protested Yanagi. "She said that he can't be as bad as he…well, appears. And she made the valid point that we only know a _part_ of who he is…and that we don't know what's happened to him before. "And she's only said it _once_; after the training session that you had the other day."

"But it's still the same thing! She's _thinking_ about it, hime, don't you see what that means? She's thinking that he's a good person!"

"Recca-kun-"

"-And then, that whole…fiasco with her ending up in the Uruha mansion. I mean, she doesn't know how she ended up there, so _obviously_, he must've had her kidnapped. He's messing with her head, hime, trying to get her to crumble. And I don't like it."

"I don't think that Fuuko-chan's the type of person who'd just _let_ anyone mess with her head, Recca-kun," put in Yanagi, reasonably.

"Yeah, well this is Kurei; who knows _what_ methods he uses? I'm concerned about her, hime. She's my best-friend…kinda like a sister, you know?" Yanagi nodded. "And…if she…I dunno, turns against us, or gets injured –at _his_ hands- before the finals, hime, there's every chance that we could lose _you_."

Yanagi turned pink as she listened to her ninja. She had never doubted the fact that he would do whatever he could to protect her –no, she knew that he would keep the promise that he had made. But now, she wasn't sure whether it was right. Wasn't all of this a heavy burden on his shoulders?

"Recca-kun-"

"And, presenting Team Hokage's opponents in this semi-final round," started the referee, catching everyone's attention, "Led by Magensha…I give you Uruha Ma!"

Domon, Koganei and Fuuko immediately halted their conversation, choosing to look straight ahead, at the opposite side of the large, oddly-designed ring that they were standing in. Mikagami simply stood where he was, a disinterested expression on his face, even as Recca and Yanagi strolled up to him.

"Let's hurry up and get this party started," said Fuuko, with a grin, just as the first few members of Uruha Ma revealed themselves.

"Yeah, I've been itching to kick some butt for a long time!" exclaimed Koganei, grinning up at Fuuko. Ever since their encounter the night before, when he had accidentally blurted out to the older girl what was nagging at his conscience, he seemed to be closer to her. And Fuuko didn't seem to mind it.

"Magensha's mine!" yelled Domon, as he raised his fist in the air…only to end up with his face on the ground as Recca kicked him from behind.

"You idiot! Magensha's the leader –_I'm_ taking him on!"

"Nani?! There's no such rule!"

"Yes there is baka!"

"But-"

"-_Anyway_, let's just…decide this as we go along, alright?" suggested Fuuko. Yanagi nodded hurriedly, in fear of another argument breaking out amongst the team.

"Humph, fine, whatever…" acquiesced Domon, just as Recca nodded. Yanagi sighed in relief just as the referee bounded over to them to start of the semi-final round.

"Ganbatte, minna…"

* * *

**A little while later:**

"It seems that team Hokage is not as weak as we expected…" commented Mikoto, as she stared up at the giant screen in the waiting room she and the rest of the fighters on team Uruha Kurenai were staying in, until they could start their own semi-final.

Kai grunted. "If they _were_ as weak as you expected, Mikoto, they wouldn't have made it to the semi-finals, would they?"

"I wasn't talking to you," snapped Mikoto, with a dark scowl on her face.

"But you _were_ talking. Perhaps you should keep your comments to yourself from now onwards."

"Maybe you shouldn't butt in when-"

"Enough." At the sound of the cold voice of their leader, the two Jyushinshuu members snapped their mouths shut at once.

An awkward silence settled in the room as its occupants stared at the screen. The third match of the semi-final round had started; Kirisawa Fuuko of the Hokage versus Gashakura of Uruha Ma.

Mikoto's lips curved up in a cruel smile when, after a few minutes, Gashakura revealed his madougu to the female fighter. Having associated with the man, albeit briefly, she knew that he was a strong and capable fighter –heck, the only reason why he wasn't a part of the Jyushinshuu itself was because all 10 places in that rank were already taken. _Speaking of which…_she glanced briefly at her master's back, _Now that Jisho's dead, there _is_ a free space in the Jyushinshuu. I wonder if Kurei-sama will welcome Gashakura into the Jyushinshuu…?_

"Yo, minna-han! Did you miss me?" Mikoto fought back the curse that threatened to escape her lips when she heard the familiar, cheerful voice, as its owner entered the room.

"Why are you here?"

"What's this? Not pleased to see me, Kurei-han?"

"Joker…"

"Ahaha, gomen, gomen," said Joker, holding his hands up in defense. "I just thought I'd drop by. Was that wrong?"

"The plan, Joker, was-"

"-Hai, hai, no-one knows who I am. At least not yet, Kurei-han," interrupted Joker, sounding as cheerful as ever.

"Then what are you doing here?"

"Just thought I'd drop in and see if you needed any help, Kurei-han…" Joker paused. "I mean, Raiha-han won't exactly be _easy_ to defeat, so-"

"-Your concern is unnecessary," cut in Kurei, as he turned to face his teammate for the first time. "Go back to whatever you were doing. And do I have to repeat myself about keeping your true identity hidden?" Joker shook his head. "Good. Now leave. We have ---" Kurei's voice trailed off as he glanced lazily back at the large screen.

* * *

**At the same time:**

"I admire your courage, Fuuko-san," commented Gashakura, actually sounding as though he meant it too. "But this match ends _here_!"

Fuuko glared at him, anticipating his next move. Just as he moved towards her, she raised up her right hand. "Fuujin; _Kamaitachi!_" she called, as she hurled a gust of wind at the approaching man. Succeeding in delaying his madougu's spider-like arms, she sped forward. "I think _not_!" she exclaimed, as she approached Gashakura.

What she hadn't anticipated was for him to allow her to get closer to him, before pulling back his large fist and striking her _hard_ in the stomach. The stomach that was already badly bruised due to the events that had taken place in the Uruha mansion.

"Fuuko!" yelled Domon, as he watched his friend being hurled back a couple of feet, all in midair. "Dammit, he's just too-" he was cut off by a sudden, whirring noise that seemed to come from within the ring itself. "What?"

As everyone watched on, the four pillars that stood at the four corners of the ring started to give off a yellow glow. The audience started to murmur in a mixture of fear and surprise as the glow increased, forming a sort of barrier around the ring. It wasn't until the Fuujin-wielder hit the barrier that they realized what exactly it was.

Fuuko's eyes widened as her back came into contact with the electric barrier. "_Gyaaaaaaaaah!!_" A moment later, she fell limply to the ground.

"Nani-?" muttered Gashakura, just as surprised as everyone else.

"What the hell?!" exclaimed Recca, his eyes widening. It was Kagero, who had long since left the commentator's-box, who pieced things together first.

"It's an electric fence!" she gasped, "Covering the entire ring." As the crowd started jeering at the referee, she looked towards her fellow zodiac-friends for help. They hadn't prepared for anything like this…what was she supposed to do?

"Ano, well…this is…" she paused, stammering. "I don't know what's going on, okay? So stop asking _me_ to do something about this!"

It was at that moment that a voice suddenly boomed through hidden speakers. It was an authoritative voice…and was one that Recca recognized immediately, from the 'opening ceremony' of the Urabutousatsujin.

"This match will continue _within_ the area enclosed by the electric fence." The yellow-haired referee looked up at where she thought the speakers were, her eyes widening.

"Demo, Mori-sama-"

"-If any of the fighters try and _leave_ the enclosed area, they will automatically be disqualified. Now carry on with it; I expect to see a more interesting match from this point onwards." The speakers went blank at that, and it was obvious that the _speaker_ wasn't going to listen to anyone's protests.

Recca clenched his hands into fists as the crowd started its murmuring once more. "Mori…Koran…" Placing a warning hand on his shoulder, Kagero turned back to the ring, where Fuuko was starting to pull herself to her feet.

"Gashakura, what're you waiting for? This is your chance. Get rid of Kirisawa Fuuko at _once_!" ordered Magensha, from the sidelines. Gashakura, who had remained quiet during all of this, turned to glance at his brother.

"But…it's…it is not a fair fight anymore…" he protested.

"It doesn't _matter_!" exclaimed Magensha, with authority. "What matters is defeating the Hokage…and we'll be getting _closer_ to that achievement once you finish off Fuuko. Do it. Mori-sama has been kind enough to give us this bit of help, so don't waste it."

"But-"

"-Gashakura, _do _as you're told! Or do you want to end up like Tsukeshiro and Kashemaru?" Gashakura stiffened at his brother's words. "Good. I didn't think you'd want that. Now go on and-"

"-Will you just _shut up_?!"

Gashakura whirled back around as he heard the yell. It had come from Fuuko, who was now on her knees. It was apparent to all those gathered in the arena that it took a lot of effort out of her to do just that. "I'm okay with it; it's not like _I_ have any choice in the matter anyway." She took a deep breath before pulling herself to her feet. "Let's just…get on with…this…"

The gathered crowd was stunned into silence by the brunette's proclamation; and a minute later, they erupted into cheers, taking note of the girl's courage and determination –for a change.

"Is this wise?" questioned Gashakura, quietly, as the girl swayed on her feet. He knew that a large portion of her back was probably burnt, badly at that, and that exhaustion must be taking its toll on her. So…how could she still say that she wanted to carry on with the match?

Fuuko shrugged, her breath coming out in short gasps. "Probably not," she said, grinning once more. "But what the hell; I might as well go for it."

* * *

**Meanwhile:**

The members of team Uruha Kurenai stared at the screen, different thoughts on their minds as they heard and watched the fighting area change.

Kai was the first one to break the stony silence that had formed amongst them.

"That…was an unexpected twist," he muttered. Mikoto snorted.

"It was certainly brilliantly planned," she said. "Mori-sama sure knows how to make things more interesting." She shrugged as she felt more than saw the dark look that Kai was giving her. "She deserved it anyway, being the arrogant, cocky little upstart that she is."

"That's enough, Mikoto-han," said Joker, with a startling authoritative note in his voice. It was even more startling to notice that the usual cheery note was absent from his voice.

Mikoto turned her dark eyes on him. "Excuse me? Who do you think-" The trident that the jokester of the Uruha carried around with him, his madougu, was slammed onto the ground, cutting her off.

"I _said_, that's enough, Mikoto-han," repeated Joker. All that Mikoto could see from where she was were a pair of glinting eyes; the jokester's hat covered the rest of his face. She would have loved to argue with the taller man, tell him that she only took orders from Kurei-sama and not from the likes of him…but she knew that the man was powerful; powerful enough to take on anyone of Uruha Kurenai –save for its leader- and win most of the battles.

So she wisely kept her mouth shut; although that did not stop her from sending the tall man a nasty glare.

No-one in the room noticed that the Uruha leader had tensed, tensed the moment he had turned to the screen and witnessed the whole incident with the electric fence that served as a barrier around a smaller portion of the ring. No-one had noticed the way his hands had clenched into fists as they watched events unfold.

And of course no one noticed the snarl that formed on his face as he listened to the announcement that Mori Koran made, concerning the electric fence.

_Chichiue_, he thought, _is crossing the line now._ He didn't bother correcting the thought, or denying it, for it was true. His –his eyes narrowed- _father_ hadn't gotten involved in any match during the tournament's history, and it made him wonder why he was doing so _now_.

Having learnt a lot about the man after living in close quarters with him for a good number of years, he knew that his father wouldn't do anything unless there was something in it that benefited him. _But…how can ensuring that Kirisawa Fuuko loses her match… 'benefit' him?_ He frowned. _There's still one more match…and there _is_ a chance that Hokage can still win…although if it's down to Ishijima Domon against Magensha, the victory _will_ go to Uruha Ma. Then what-?_

His eyes narrowed. _He doesn't trust me._ Of _course_; it was as clear as that. Mori Koran didn't believe that he and his team, Uruha Kurenai, could defeat the Hokage, should the progress to the final-round. _That_ was why he was intervening, to ensure that the Hokage _don't_ reach the final round. _I _told_ him to stay out of my business…_

A scream snapped him out of his thoughts, causing him to focus his attention once more on the screen. The scream had come from the brunette Fuujin-wielder as she was pushed against a part of the electric fence once more. He didn't care much for the shocked yells and exclamations from the crowd, or from the two remaining Hokage members or from Kagero herself.

Catching a glimpse of the brunette's face, of the expression _on_ it, caused him to…clench his jaw tight. A strange, foreign sensation swam inside his gut as he recognized the expression as one of pain –although that wasn't too hard to do. He scowled behind his mask. What was the foreign sensation? In one sense, it was familiar…but then, it was difficult for him to place it.

But that wasn't what bothered him. It was the fact that he was thinking about her. _Again_.

_What happens to her is none of your business,_ he told himself mentally, even as he watched the girl pull herself to her feet, staggering all the way. _She is a member of the Hokage; a loss for her would benefit the Uruha. There is no reason to feel……odd. She deserves this._

"Ano…Uruha Kurenai…?" Mikoto, Kai and Noroi turned around as one when they heard the timid voice of the referee, who quivered under their gazes. Joker didn't bother turning around, and neither did Kurei.

"What?" snapped Mikoto, as nastily as always. The referee visibly winced.

"Your…match, it's…I mean, it's time for your match…" Noroi grunted as he moved forward, towards the frightened girl. Mikoto smirked as she watched the girl's eyes widen in fear.

"She is not your opponent, Noroi," commanded Kurei. "Leave her be." As Noroi stopped in his tracks, the referee bowed somewhat untidily before running out of the room as fast as she could.

Kai turned back to the leader of their team and noticed that he was standing still, still staring at the screen, through which they could see Gashakura preparing himself for the last strike at the prone Fuujin-wielder. The dark-skinned Kai shook his head, not _too_ pleased with what he guessed was Gashakura's intention; taking out the Fuujin-wielder for good. He was about to turn away from the screen, when something caught his eye, causing them to widen.

"What is he doing?" exclaimed Mikoto, as they watched Gashakura destroy the four pillars in the ring; the pillars that held up the electric fence. Joker, who had been silent for a while, grinned.

"He's trying to play fair," he said. "That's nice of him, ne?"

"You mean stupid," muttered Mikoto, looking disgusted. "If he had attacked her then, like he was supposed to, the match would already be over. The foolish man."

_Gashakura…_ Kurei shook his head slightly as the Fuujin-wielder got up. She still swayed on her feet, still sported rather vicious injuries from the now non-existent electric fence, still looked exhausted, but there was something different; there was a grin on her face. It was the confident grin that she usually had on her face.

As the brunette made an obscene gesture towards Magensha, who was standing on the sidelines, the masked man couldn't help but smirk. _This match isn't over yet, Gashakura…_

Dragging his eyes away from the screen –and surprising himself at the force with which he had to exert to do just _that_- Kurei turned to face his expectant subordinates.

"Joker," he said, turning his head slightly. "You will not be coming out with us; do whatever it was that you were doing before." He did not turn back to the screen as he heard the loud cheers. "Let's go."

"Be careful out there, Kurei-han," said Joker, as he waved merrily at the masked-man. "I wouldn't want you to get yourself electrocuted." Kurei paid no heed to the jokester, as he made his way to the door. "The celebrations you and I have planned won't be…as effective if you get yourself injured, ne?" There was a saucy note in the man's voice as he stared at his leader's back.

Mikoto, Kai and even Noroi stared at the jokester, varying expressions on their faces, before turning to their leader. Kurei sighed heavily as he felt three, no four, pairs of eyes on his back. He was already confused enough, what with the…strange thoughts in his head about the Fuujin-wielder (thoughts that he couldn't understand well…) and he wasn't about to put up with the jokester's comic antics.

"_Joker_," he started.

"Hai, hai," said Joker, cheerily. "Not my fault no-one understands a joke." The pout disappeared from his face instantly, replaced by a cheerful grin. "Good luck, then! Present for you!"

_I should be rewarded for putting up with him_, thought Kurei, as he walked out of the room. Mikoto followed him, but not before turning to glare at Joker.

"Gomen, Mikoto-han, but it's not _you _who I love." With a huff, Mikoto exited the room. As Kai turned to shoot him an exasperated glance, Joker shrugged easily. "Love you too, Kai-han!" Rolling his eyes, Kai followed Mikoto, although Noroi stayed behind for a moment, staring blankly at Joker. "Er…why don't you get going, Noroi-han?" The tall, somewhat strange member of Uruha Kurenai stood still, continuing to stare. "…Love you too, Noroi-han…?" he tried, his smile appearing a little bit stretched.

* * *

**A/N**

Alright, now I know that there wasn't much Ku/Fuu (or is it Fuu/Rei) interaction in this, but I sort of wanted to focus on Kurei in this…on Kurei and _his_ thoughts.

The next chapter, however, will certainly feature Kurei and Fuuko interaction, so please put up with me until then!

Well, that's it for now…reviews will be gladly accepted.

And I'd like to wish everyone a HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! Keep smiling!!!

See ya soon!

Siriusgirl1


	8. Startling Discoveries

**A/N**

Here's chapter eight! And, as I _did_ promise, there's more Kurei/Fuuko interaction, although not right at the start. Hope you all like it!

I know that has banned us from replying to reviewers _here_, which is why they created the whole 'review-reply' function where you get to directly reply to whoever reviews. The one catch is that you can only use the function to reply to _signed_ reviews, and not to others. I hope it won't be taken too seriously if I reply to the anonymous reviewers here…

**Noonespecial:** Hehe, I'm glad that you liked it, and that you like the pairing (oh, I like ToFu too, it's just that I thought there was a lot on that pairing, and not on…er, Ku/Fuu…or…er, whatever it's called.) I've kept my promise about the interaction (although there'll be nothing _intimate_ as I think it'll take a bit longer for them to get to _that_ stage!) Anyways, thanks again for your review and I hope you enjoy chapter eight too!

* * *

**Chapter Eight: Startling Discoveries**

She took in a deep breath of the crisp, cool night air, as she walked out of the building that the teams taking part in the Urabutousatsujin, as well as the fans, stayed in. There were people around, although they were mostly spectators, for they seemed to be eagerly discussing the events that had taken place earlier in the day. Glad that no-one seemed to recognize her –or if they did, they didn't seem to care- she hurriedly stepped out on to the road.

Although she marveled at the fact that none of her teammates had seen her disappear or offer to accompany her, she didn't feel too bad about it. In all honesty, she was glad that she had left the apartment that the Hokage shared. Not that it was a…dull or boring place, no, certainly not; when she had left the place, team Ku and the three remaining members of Uruha Ma had been there as well.

_Heh, it seems surreal in a way; one minute we're all fighting and the next we're good friends_, she thought, as she walked leisurely down the road.

Her mind wandered back to semi-final round that they had taken part in; although she winced as she thought back to her match against the vice-captain of Uruha Ma, Gashakura. He had been a formidable opponent indeed. _You wanted a challenge, Fuuko-chan_, she told herself, _and you _certainly_ got one._

Instinctively, she raised her arm to her stomach, prodding it gingerly. The pain she had expected to feel before wasn't there as Yanagi had seen to the bruises and cuts she had had before. Those spider-arms sure packed a punch. And she wasn't even going to _bother_ thinking about the injuries she had on her back, thanks to the stupid electric-fence that Mori Koran had suddenly set up and included in the match.

_Mori Koran…_

A small frown formed on her face. Magensha, it had turned out, was working for the cruel man…and had been following _his_ orders when he tried to kidnap Yanagi. And Magensha was the leader of _Uruha_ Ma. The _Uruha_, as in…the Uruha that was loyal to _Kurei_.

_Was it just me, or did Kurei have Magensha killed because he worked for Mori…? Or was it just because he thought the idiot was underestimating his ability to win and 'win' Yanagi-chan?_ She sighed heavily, rubbing her temples as she did so. It was all just so…confusing, dammit! Why couldn't it have been simple?

Not for the first time that week, she cursed whatever had made her enter the forest on that oh-so-fateful day, and witness the beating take place. If she hadn't seen or heard anything, her curiosity wouldn't have been awakened.

_And…I wouldn't feel…awkward each time I hear Recca or anyone else talking about Kurei._

* * *

**Meanwhile:**

"Why did you interfere in the semi-final round today?"

"Interfere? Is that what you call it, Kurei?" the seated figure chuckled. "I had hoped you'd have seen it as me giving you and your Uruha a bit of help."

Kurei frowned, even though he knew that the man couldn't see it as he was seated with his back to him.

"Uruha Ma did not need your _help_," he said, coolly, "And neither do I."

"Kurei, Kurei, can you really blame for thinking that my help was…needed?" There was a short pause in the room. "The Hokage have faced three Uruha teams so far in the tournament, and they have now _won_ against all three of them. The teams led by Genjuro and Neon, two of your Jyushinshuu, couldn't stop them…so can I really be blamed for thinking that the same would happen with Uruha Ma?"

"That still does not mean you had any right to interfere," commented Kurei. "Hokage will be facing Uruha Kurenai in the finals –that was an outcome that I had hoped for, and one that I have received." His scowl widened. "Just because three Uruha teams lost to the Hokage does not, in any way, mean that _I_ will let them defeat me. You, of all people, should know that."

The seated man chuckled again. "Ah, of course…there is a lot at stake for you, should you lose, is there not…?" The now unmasked man narrowed his eyes the question. "-In any case, my involvement in the match certainly entertained our…guests."

"Guests?" He answered his own query almost immediately. _Ah, of course…the 'guests' who place bets on the various teams in the Urabutousatsujin. The 'guests' who allow Chichiue to earn an additional, illegal income…_

"Yes, guests," said Mori Koran. "Though, it _is_ a pity that my electric fence did not end up being of much use…" At the mention of the electric fence, Kurei's eyes narrowed further –although this time it was done to warn certain thoughts to _not_ enter his head.

"I see." He could do without those thoughts entering his head, as he was too angry to put up with them.

"Kurei…" something in his father's voice caused him to stare hard at the back of his head. "Time is running out, Kurei…you know that, don't you?" The older man turned slightly in his seat, so he could partially see his unmasked son.

Clenching his hands into fists, Kurei nodded. He didn't need to be a rocket-scientist to figure out what his father was talking about.

"Hai."

Mori Koran nodded in approval. "Good." He turned back around. "If that girl of healing; Sakoshita Yanagi; is not in my hands by the end of the tournament……you _will_ be punished." He paused for a moment. "And I am sure that you will not like the 'punishment' that I will have in store for you…"

"I am sure I won't," said Kurei, through gritted teeth. Mori Koran chuckled.

"That's good." He raised his glass of champagne to his lips and took a rather large sip out of it, closing his eyes to savor the taste. Kurei stood where he was, not moving an inch as he stared at the back of his father's profile.

"Chichiue…" The man lowered his glass. "If you interfere in my affairs again, and that includes the rest of the tournament," he glared at his father's head. "I _will_ not hesitate to fight back. Remember that."

"Are you threatening me, Kurei?"

"No," answered the leader of the Uruha, quietly. "I am merely warning you." With that, he shot the back of his father's head one last glare before turning on his heel and stalking out of the room.

* * *

**At the same time:**

"I come in peace, Fuuko-san," said the long haired man, giving her a friendly smile as she stared at him in suspicion.

"So you say," retorted Fuuko, her hands still on her hips as she stared at the brunet. "What do you want?"

"Nothing."

"You expect me to believe that?" The long-haired male nodded, causing the Fuujin-wielder to sigh.

Raiha bowed elegantly to her, causing her to raise her eyebrows in surprise. "I really do not mean you any harm, Fuuko-san. You know that…" he shot her a mildly injured look.

"Can you blame me for thinking that?" she questioned, glancing up at the streetlight they were standing under, as it flickered briefly. "You're a member of the Uruha…and cannot be trusted."

"So you don't trust me?" Fuuko shrugged.

"I suppose you're alright…" she admitted. "Which is more than I can say for the rest of your friends…" Raiha smiled at her.

"We're not that bad, Fuuko-san…" he said. "We only do what we must." A comfortable silence engulfed the brown-haired pair, just as a cooling gust of wind blew around them. "Congratulations for making it to the finals," explained Raiha. "Defeating Uruha Ma wasn't an easy task to do." Fuuko grinned at the man's words.

"Of course!" she exclaimed. "We're the Hokage after all; _nothing's_ impossible for us!" She punched the air with her fist. "The next 'impossible' task we're going to do is defeat Uruha Kurenai. Just you wait!"

"Ano…maybe you shouldn't be _so_ confident?" suggested Raiha, sweat-dropping.

"Nope, thinking positive is the right way to go about this whole thing," said Fuuko, shaking her head. "We did that during our semi-final round, and…it worked, didn't it?" She stopped suddenly. "Speaking of semi-final rounds…" she glanced sideways at Raiha. "You lost yours, didn't you?"

Still smiling, the Uruha ninja nodded. "Hai."

Fuuko stared at him in surprise. "You're…okay with it?"

"Hmm?"

"You were defeated…and you're okay with it?" Raiha nodded.

"Yes," he said. "Kurei-sama's team _is_ a strong one after all……"

"I heard that you forfeited the round…" said Fuuko, shrewdly. "Is that true?"

He nodded, still smiling. "Yes, it is true."

"Why?" He shot her a questioning glance. "Why'd you forfeit the round? Loads of people were expecting you to win, you know, Raiha-kun," said Fuuko.

The ninja just shrugged. "I just didn't feel like fighting…" Fuuko sweat-dropped this time.

_Didn't feel like fighting? What the hell?_

"You could have done us a favor by taking out Uruha Kurenai…" Raiha shot her an apologetic smile.

"Gomen, Fuuko-san," he said, pleasantly, "But I don't think I would ever be able to do that." His remark caught Fuuko's attention, and she stared questioningly at him. "I could never fight Kurei-sama…that would not be right…"

"And why on earth not? Isn't the whole point of the tournament to find out which team is the strongest?"

"…Yes, I suppose it is…" agreed Raiha, although not very convincingly. "But it's Kurei-sama, Fuuko-san; I _serve_ him…and I most certainly do not wish to _fight_ him."

Fuuko found herself rolling her eyes. "Geez, you sound as though...I dunno, you'd dedicate your whole life to serving Kurei; if you could." She was taken aback at the serious expression that formed on the man's face as he nodded.

"Of course," he said, quietly, as his eyes became shadowed. "I _have_ already done that." He lowered his head slightly. "It is the least that I can do…for what my ancestors –" as though realizing that he was mumbling, Raiha raised his head and scratched the back of his neck sheepishly. "Ahaha, gomen Fuuko-san…I guess I was just mumbling…"

"You've _already_ dedicated your whole life to serving Kurei?" wondered Fuuko, shocked. Raiha nodded. "But…why?"

The ninja shot her a wide smile. "That, Fuuko-san, is…something I cannot tell you…" _You would not want to associate with the descendent of traitors and cowards, Fuuko-san,_ he thought to himself, his smile wavering just a bit as he did so.

"Why can't you tell me?" Raiha chuckled.

"Because."

"Because…?"

"Hai." Seeing that she wasn't about to get anything out of the brunet ninja, Fuuko turned away from him with a sigh. Raiha's clear loyalty to Kurei was…surprising. For someone like Raiha –a kind, easy-going, friendly person- to even _think_ about dedicating his whole life to serving a man as…cruel as Kurei…well, it was surprising.

_He wouldn't have done that if Kurei didn't have an ounce of decency in him, though,_ she mused, inwardly. _He has to…have _some_ redeeming quality if people are _this_ loyal to him…Raiha –and Neon, for that matter- does not seem like someone who would swear his loyalty to anyone unless they had some good quality or the other. Unless they were _decent

She was snapped out of her thoughts –which, once again, were of a particular masked man (as was often the case these days) when the ninja waved a hand in her face.

"Sorry," she said, "I was just…thinking…"

"What about?"

_About your good old leader,_ thought Fuuko, _but I don't think you need to know that._

"Nothing," she said, shaking her head. "Nothing important…" Raiha shot her a questioning glance, but decided to drop the topic. He was never one to press for information anyway. Besides, he figured that if something _was_ bothering the Fuujin-wielder, she'd tell him if she wanted to.

He turned away from her, redirecting his gaze to the stars that were starting to show themselves in the sky. "How's your back, Fuuko-san?" The silence that followed his question worried him a little. "Fuuko-san?"

"It's fine," was the short, clipped answer that he received. Before he could probe into the matter further, she interrupted him. "Raiha-kun…" He nodded to show that he was listening. "If I ask you something…will you give me an answer? An _honest_ answer?"

If he was surprised, he didn't show it. He merely smiled. "Have I ever been dishonest, Fuuko-san?"

"Alright, well…let's just say that…there's this girl...who's not…very nice. As in, you know the…quiet, reserved type?" Raiha nodded as she paused. "Yeah, well, this guy –girl, this _girl_…has lots of enemies –"

"Enemies?" asked Raiha, as she paused.

"Did I say enemies? I meant…people who don't like him –_her_, people who don't like _her_…" The brunet ninja watched his companion wring her hands. "Anyway…well, all you need to know is that people don't like hi-her very much, and he -_she_ has a horrid reputation wherever she goes and…stuff like that." She waved her hand casually in the air.

"I'm confused, Fuuko-san," started Raiha, as she paused. "Is the person you're talking about…a male or female?"

Fuuko stiffened slightly before answering. "Female," she said, "Why'd you think otherwise?"

"…You seemed a bit unsure," said Raiha, raising his eyebrows.

"You're imagining things," said Fuuko, hurriedly. Raiha knew that that wasn't the case, but he decided not to point it out. "…this girl…she's not liked by many people –for certain reasons…which, uh, I don't think-"

"-You're repeating yourself, Fuuko-san…" Fuuko flushed.

"Right…sorry about that," she muttered, continuing to wring her hands nervously.

"What is it, exactly, that you want to ask me, Fuuko-san?" asked Raiha after a while, when the girl didn't continue with what she had been saying.

"Erm…well, there are a handful of people, right, who're loyal to this girl-" Fuuko shook her head. "-in the sense, they actually seem to _like_ this girl, and don't mind putting up with her…that kind of thing…" Raiha tilted his head to a side.

"This sounds familiar…" he remarked, closing his eyes and not seeing the alarmed expression that flashed across his companion's face.

_Oh no,_ thought Fuuko, as she stared at the ninja, _has he…no, he couldn't have…I wasn't being too obvious, was I?_

Raiha sent her an apologetic smile. "It kind of reminds me of…someone I know…" He shook his head. "Iie, it's nothing; do continue."

_Calm down, Fuuko-chan_…_just calm down; he's doesn't get it –at least, I hope he doesn't._

"Okay, I just want to know…does the fact that the, er, handful of people who…like the girl…mean that she's actually _nice_? Does it mean that she's not as bad as she…appears?" She risked looking Raiha in the eye.

"Maa, Fuuko-san, that's…a bit difficult to answer…" Fuuko's face fell. "But," continued Raiha, giving her a small smile. "It's not _impossible_ either" He paused, pondering the answer he should give his companion. "These people who like the girl…are they decent people?"

"Well…" she averted his questioning gaze. "Yes…yes, I suppose you could say they are…" Raiha nodded, thoughtfully.

"I would say no, the girl _isn't_ as bad she appears," he said, after a while. "No matter who you are, if there are people who _do_ like you, it means that they must see something in you; something that they like. Plus, you said that those people were decent people…" Raiha smiled. "And I don't think decent people would like anyone who _wasn't_ decent themselves."

"But what if they're just doing it because they feel sorry for hi-for _her_, or because…they're obligated to?" asked Fuuko, slowly.

"…For them to feel _obligated_ to your –is she a friend of yours?" Fuuko shook her head.

"No," she said, hurriedly, "She's just…er, someone I know…"

"Oh, well, for them to feel obligated to her she must have done them a favour…or something _nice_ to them; maybe she helped them out in a difficult situation, or something like that." He shrugged. "If she did indeed do that, well…she _must_ be nice, ne?"

There was a pause as Fuuko thought about the ninja's answer. _He did take in Neon, Miki and Aki, as maids, when they were just wandering around unemployed and lost,_ she mused, _but…_she broke off to sneak a glance at Raiha, _what did he do to earn Raiha's eternal loyalty?_

"Oh, yes, you're…probably right," she said quickly, when she noticed Raiha staring at her. She gave him a somewhat stretched smile, resisting the urge to massage her temples once again, as her head started throbbing. "Thanks…Raiha-kun."

Raiha simply smiled back at her. "Anytime, Fuuko-san," he said. "Was my…answer of any help at all?"

_I honestly don't know…_Fuuko sighed inwardly.

"Kind of," she said, not really finding it in her to lie completely.

"Do you know who your friend reminds me of?" Fuuko's face paled slightly. "She reminds me, in a way, of Kurei-sama. I know it's strange but- Fuuko-san, daijobu?"

Clutching at her throat, Fuuko did her best to stop her coughing, but it didn't seem to work. At least, it didn't seem to work until Raiha started patting her gently on the back.

"A-arigato," she gasped out, moving her hand away from her throat.

"Are you alright?" asked Raiha, concernedly, still rubbing her back. "Fuuko-san?"

Fuuko managed to give him a small smile. "Ahaha! Yeah, I'm fine," she said. "Dunno what happened, but…I'm fine." Feeling the hand still resting on her back, she shifted, a tad bit uncomfortably. "Er…Raiha-kun, could you please-"

"There you are, Raiha. I have been looking for you for some time now. Have you-" The all too familiar, cold voice trailed off as its owner approached them.

* * *

"Hah! Take _that_, Mikagami!"

Mikagami lightly threw the black console away from him, his face as expressionless as usual.

"Whatever," he mumbled. "These _are_ kids' games anyway…"

"Kids games?! Excuse me; I'll have you know-"

"-Domon-kun," reprimanded Yanagi, from where she was seated nearby, on the ground, making paper cranes with Saicho and Koganei. "Please, keep it down. People are sleeping."

"Huh?" Domon glanced around the living room of the Hokage apartment and, to his surprise, saw that Yanagi was right. Gashakura and Kukai were sleeping on the opposite ends of the couch; Kashemaru was seated on the ground leaning against the back of the couch –sleeping, and from the looks of things Tsukeshiro wasn't too far from joining the other three in dream-land.

"Humph," was all that Mikagami said, as he reached forward to switch the TV off, giving Domon a pointed glare as he made a muffled exclamation of protest. Yanagi shot her senior a grateful smile.

"Hey, where's Kagero-san?" asked Domon, as he looked around again and didn't see the Hokage ninja anywhere.

"She went to lie down for a bit," said Yanagi. "She seemed pretty worn out after today's semi-final round…"

"Oh," said Domon

"Sometimes, being on the sidelines, watching events transpire, watching people getting hurt and _knowing_ that all your knowledge can only do so much…is more exhausting than taking part in a match," commented Saicho. Domon shot him a surprised glance.

"How do you know?" Mikagami sighed, as Saicho opened his mouth to answer him.

"It's not like she has nothing to worry about. Recca _is_ her son, in case you've forgotten," said Mikagami, sarcastically, "And she worries about him a lot. And then there's the fact that her son's friends are involved in something that _could_ get ugly…and that it's her _step-son_ who's causing all these problems…it must get a bit tiring, don't you think?"

A dark look appeared on Domon's face. "I sort of understand what you meant about the sidelines thing, Mikagami. I know _I_ felt awful while watching Fuuko fight Gashakura…" Yanagi and Koganei were silent as they stared at their friend.

"Was it really that bad?" asked Koganei, softly. Domon nodded, only then remembering that Yanagi, Koganei _and_ Mikagami hadn't been present during the match.

"Yes," he said, his voice unusually quiet. "It was." He looked up at Yanagi. "You should know; you saw the injuries on her back, didn't you?"

Yanagi, who had started to nod when Domon mentioned the word 'injuries', stopped abruptly when he mentioned _where_ the injuries were.

"On her back?" she echoed, confused. "What injuries on her back?" Domon looked surprised.

"The ones she received from the electric fence thing…" he said. "The burn-like stuff?" Yanagi shook her head.

"Domon-kun, there was nothing like that," she said. "I did heal the other cuts that she had; the ones on her stomach, her legs and her neck…"

Domon's eyes narrowed in realization just as Yanagi's eyes widened. The two stared at each other for a moment.

"Why that-" Domon stopped, his hands clenched into fists. "-I _knew_ it. I should have known that you hadn't treated her burns…" he shook his head. "A while ago, I playfully slapped her on the back, thinking she had been healed, and she winced, telling me not to do that again because her back was still a bit sore…"

"Demo…why didn't she tell me about the burns?" questioned Yanagi. "I would have healed her –surely she knows that?"

"Figures," muttered Mikagami. "The monkey probably didn't want you to waste your energy or something, Yanagi-san."

"-Where's Fuuko-neechan?" Koganei's question drew everyone's attention to him.

"She was talking to Gashakura," said Saicho, glancing at the couch. "-Where's Fuuko-san?"

"Not again…" muttered Mikagami.

* * *

"Kurei-sama." Fuuko's face turned pale as she stared at the man standing before them. Through the eye-slits in the grey mask that he wore, Kurei's blue eyes shifted from Raiha to the brunette standing next to him.

"So…this is where you have been…" he commented, coolly. Despite the situation, Fuuko was grateful when Raiha removed his hand from her back. Although, she _would_ have told him to remove his hand even if the masked man hadn't turned up.

"You were looking for me? Is something…wrong?" asked the ninja, his face turning serious.

Kurei just stared at him for a moment before shaking his head.

"No," he said, trying to forget his earlier conversation with his _father_. "But I would like you to head back to the mansion. There's…" He glanced quickly at the brunette. "There's something that I would like you to look into. Immediately." He couldn't quite stop himself from emphasizing the last bit.

If he was surprised at the sudden order, Raiha did not show it. He simply nodded.

"Will the…" he glanced at the girl. "…necessary information be in your office, Kurei-sama?" The Uruha leader nodded. "I will report back to you when I'm done."

With a last bow at the masked man, Raiha turned and walked away without a second glance in Fuuko's direction. He briefly wondered why his master was staying behind instead of following him. _It's none of my business,_ he told himself, as he quickened his pace. Besides, he knew his master well enough to know that he wouldn't incapacitate any of the Hokage fighters before the final round. He wasn't like that.

The masked man and the brunette stared at each other after the ninja left, neither of the two saying anything. This continued for a while, as the street-light flickered slightly.

"Did you enjoy his company?" Fuuko stared at him, wondering if it really was a touch of amusement that she had heard in his voice.

"Excuse me?" Kurei shook his head.

"He is one of the Uruha…in case you had forgotten," he said. _No, really?_, he asked himself, sarcastically, _she already knows that, genius._

The brunette scowled. "I _know_ that," she muttered.

"I wonder what the rest of your friends would say if they knew you were…friendly with the enemy."

_Why am I so…concerned? It's just the Fuujin-wielder; I shouldn't care about what she does. _

"Yeah? Well I wonder what they'd say if they knew I was friendly with you!" snapped Fuuko, her scowl deepening. Why did the darned man _always_ know the right things to say to make her _mad_? Her green eyes widened slightly.

The Uruha leader raised his eyebrows behind his mask.

"_Friendly_?" echoed Kurei. "You and I?" Fuuko found herself flushing.

"I…I meant…oh, never mind. I don't need to explain anything to you!" she glared at him. "Who do you think you are, anyway? Asking me all these questions?"

"Who do you think _you_ are, prying into my life?"

"Excuse me?"

"Isn't that why you're hanging around with _my_ Uruha members? To find out as much as you can about me?"

"And why would I want to do that?"

Kurei shrugged. "Because prying into my life keeps you amused. And entertained."

"I'm _not_ prying!" exclaimed Fuuko, fighting the urge to throw her arms up in the air in frustration. "I'm _curious_!" She frowned. "And I do _not_ want answers to _amuse_ myself. What kind of person do you take me for? I'm just _curious._"

"There _is_ a saying about curiosity killing the cat…"

"Well then, it's a good thing that I'm no cat, isn't it?" The two glared at each other for a while, neither one turning away.

* * *

Yanagi chewed on her bottom lip as she stared at the four males she was seated with, before voicing what they were wondering. "Where could she have gone?"

"Obviously, she's gone out," said Saicho, reasonably. "Maybe…she just needed some fresh air?"

"Couldn't she just have gone out into the balcony?" asked Koganei, frowning.

"Maybe she just went for a walk?" suggested Yanagi, looking hopeful.

"The last time she went for a walk, she disappeared, and turned up hours later only to tell us that she had been at the Uruha mansion," commented Mikagami, impassively.

"But…Mikagami-sempai, nothing…I mean, she took her Fuujin with her, so-"

"-what can her Fuujin do against Kurenai?" asked Domon, quietly. He looked up at Mikagami. "I'm going out to find her."

"By yourself?" questioned Yanagi, frowning.

"Yeah," said Domon. "Recca's going to be furious when he wakes up and finds her gone –especially when we were supposed to look after her. It would be better for all of us if we just…find her before Recca wakes up."

Saicho nodded at Domon's answer. "In addition to that, Fuuko-san is injured, isn't she? Yanagi-san didn't heal all of her wounds; in her condition, she could be vulnerable to an Uruha attack…what with the finals being so close…"

Koganei stood up, clutching his madougu tightly. "I don't think they'd do that," he said, softly. "Kurei's not…like that." Mikagami stared thoughtfully at the younger boy, as everyone turned quiet.

* * *

"Look…I just-" Fuuko paused, sneaking a glance at the man. A frown formed on her face as she took in his mask. "-Well, I just think…" her voice trailed off as she continued to stare at his mask.

Was it just her, or was it different to the one he usually wore? She was sure that she hadn't seen a…dangling chain –or was it a lock?- on his previous masks. And she was _sure_ that even less of his face was exposed, with this new mask.

Not really…well, thinking about what she was doing, she took a step forward, still peering at his mask. She ended up taking quite a few steps forward, until she was standing directly in front of him, looking up at his mask. The masked man stiffened as she stepped forward, although she didn't seem to realize it.

"What-"

"Do you know how distracting it is to actually talk to you when you have that…infernal thing on your face?" asked Fuuko, still staring at the mask. "Have you changed the mask, by the way? It looks different."

It wasn't often that the leader of the Uruha was rendered speechless, whether for a brief moment or for a minute or two. People would even go so far as to say that _nothing_ ever shocked or surprised the man.

But those people had obviously never thought about the effect a certain brunette Fuujin-wielder could have on him, as Kurei _was_ rendered speechless. What was he supposed to say? And…judging by her second question…was she keeping track of the masks he wore? Why? He'd have thought the mere sight of him disgusted her. It certainly seemed to disgust her team mates.

_And _why_ do I care about any of this?_

Realizing that he was not acting himself, Kurei shook his head slightly, trying to get rid of the unwanted questions and thoughts that were forming rapidly in it.

"It is none of your concern," he said, as icily as he could, doing his best to cover up for his earlier pause. "What will it take for you to mind your own business?" He sneered at the girl. "Perhaps I should just kill you and get it all over with…"

Fuuko's eyes shifted from the unusual design on the grey mask to his deep blue eyes.

"I'd like to see you try," she said, coolly.

"…Very well," said Kurei, raising his left hand. "Allow me to oblige you on that…request." _What are you doing? You're not going to kill her, and you know it. Shove your pride somewhere and just…carry on a civilized conversation, for once in your life._ He frowned as he heard the voice in his head; he carried on civilized conversations all the time, thank you very much.

Fuuko took a step backward, raising her Fuujin-clad arm in front of her.

"My Fuujin isn't as…weak as it was before, just so you know…" she commented, although she was wondering what would happen if the man really _did_ kill her.

"I'm frightened already."

"Yeah, you should be," muttered Fuuko, scowling. "If you'd seen my match with Gashakura, you would know that I'm telling you the truth."

"Like I said, I am _very_ frightened." Fuuko's scowl deepened.

"You know what? I'm not surprised that a guy like Mori took you in as his son. I'm guessing that the jerk figured that you were as cruel and sadistic as he was…you know, kindred spirits and all?" She snorted. "I bet you loved the electric fence that your _father_ introduced."

The masked man tensed, and, to Fuuko, it seemed as though the temperature around her had dropped by a couple of degrees.

"Never," snarled Kurei, lashing out at her with a clenched fist, "Talk about _him_ in my presence again." Before she could move, he grabbed a fistful of her hair and yanked on it, even as she aimed a wild punch at him –a punch that he easily blocked with his free hand.

Fuuko's green eyes blazed in fury as she stared at the masked man. Biting down hard on her lip, she refused to yelp in pain as he tugged on her hair. She wouldn't show any more weakness in front of him, dammit!

"It's a free world," she retorted, tartly, "I can say what I want, when I want." She held her arms up in front of her, deflecting one of the Uruha leader's punches, but couldn't quite stop him from tugging even harder at the fistful of hair that he held.

"You are treading on dangerous ground, Kirisawa Fuuko…" warned Kurei, his voice coming out in a snarl. The Fuujin wielder glared at him for a moment.

"Fuujin; _Kamaitachi_!" Kurei hurriedly pushed her away from him, _hard _too, as she called on the power of her Fuujin. Even though he did get out of the way in time to prevent any _serious_ injury, he wasn't fast enough to stop one of the blades of wind slicing at his left arm and shredding his sleeve.

Fuuko, in the mean time, had stumbled backward and eventually fallen on her rear as she lost her balance. She had enough presence of mind to hold her Fuujin-clad arm out, to defend herself should the masked man attack her.

"Is that why I should be frightened?" he questioned, after a moment or two.

"No," said Fuuko. "I'm not going to waste any of the crystals on you –well, at least not _here_."

Realizing that it was probably not wise to remain seated on the ground while a _very dangerous_ opponent stood before her, Fuuko scrambled to her feet quickly. Unfortunately, she did not anticipate the flashes of pain that seared through her back as she moved; the flashes of pain that caused to her fall back down, rather clumsily.

Kurei, with his now-sleeveless left arm partly raised, paused and watched the girl's antics, wondering what on earth she was doing. If she was trying to throw him off track with this…peculiar behaviour, well, it was working.

"Dammit," muttered Fuuko, as she tugged at the back of her t-shirt. Suddenly remembering the masked man, she glanced up hurriedly, and saw him staring down at her.

Gritting her teeth she pulled herself to her feet, letting out a sharp hiss of pain as she did so. Ignoring it –and hoping it would _stay_ ignored for a while- she stared at the Uruha leader. "As…interesting as this encounter has been," she said quietly, "I'm…going to have to go…"

The masked man raised his eyebrows, although the brunette couldn't see this courtesy of the mask he wore. Without bothering to say anything more, she turned around and started heading back, in the direction of the apartment complex. Biting harder on her lower lip at each step that she took, she hobbled her way down the street.

She hadn't gone far, however, before the masked man stopped her.

"You're bleeding…" he said, coldly. Fuuko's green eyes widened, and she turned around –slowly- to look at him. "There's blood on your t-shirt," said Kurei, nodding casually at her.

"Oh crap." The brunette continued to tug at the back of her t-shirt. "I _knew_ it was a bad idea to not tell Yanagi-chan about these…" She frowned in exasperation. "Is it really bad?"

Kurei stared at her, wondering for a moment if she was talking to him or to someone else. When it was apparent that she _was _talking to him, he still paused.

_What the hell, it's just a question…_

"Yes," he said. "…A little." This time, it was Fuuko's turn to be surprised. She hadn't really expected him to answer the question.

"Oh," was all she could say. A cool gust of wind blew around them, ruffling Fuuko's hair. As she raised a hand to stop her hair from flying into her eyes, she frowned when she felt the fabric of her t-shirt stick to her back. Forgetting about her hair, she tried to look behind her once more, but couldn't see much.

Turning her attention back to the masked man, she scowled at him. "You know, this is your fault," she said, quite unpleasantly.

"My fault?" echoed Kurei. Fuuko nodded. "How is it _my_ fault?"

"Because of the stupid fence that-" She stopped abruptly when Kurei raised a hand, as though to silence her. "Excuse me? What-"

"-Be quiet," hissed Kurei, his eyes narrowing as he tilted his head to a side

"I most certainly will _not_. You've got some nerve, telling me to---" All Fuuko could do was stare in surprise as Kurei moved forward so suddenly that she almost tripped over her feet as she attempted to get away from him. "What the-?" she exclaimed, as he grabbed her and pulled her to the side of the road, towards the trees that lined the sidewalk. "Hey! What the hell do you think you're –let go. Let go _now_!" she struggled violently, trying to pull herself free from his grip even as more pain seared through her back. "Are you deaf? I said –oof…"

Applying a bit more of his strength to hold her in place behind a particularly large tree, Kurei gave her a piercing look through his deep blue eyes, silently warning her to just listen to him.

"Be quiet," he repeated once more, although in a softer voice which caused Fuuko to shoot him a perplexed glance.

"But-" she shut her mouth when she saw the glare he sent her. "But…why should I keep-" It was at that moment that she heard the footsteps _and_ the voices. Immediately shutting up, she too tilted her head to a side, listening as the owners of the footsteps stopped nearby.

* * *

"Erm, Koganei…where've you been throughout this tournament?" questioned Domon, sounding surprised. "Kurei's been making our lives a living hell –even _before_ the tournament!"

"Yes, but he's not sneaky or anything like that," said Koganei, seriously.

"He's kidnapped Yanagi-chan before, Koganei."

"Yes, I know that but…he'd never go back on his word. Remember, we'll lose Yanagi-neechan _only_ if we lose the final round."

Before Domon could say anything to contradict the boy's statement, Mikagami shot him a cool glance.

"_And_, if you'd care to remember, one of the reasons why he…had Magensha punished was because he tried to kidnap Yanagi-san during our semi-final round," he said, matter-of-factly. "So, I imagine that Koganei was right; he _wouldn't_ do anything like that."

"But-"

"_However_," continued Mikagami, interrupting Domon, "We still don't know how that…monkey ended up in the Uruha mansion. She could have accidentally ended up there, but I doubt that." Domon shot Koganei a triumphant look.

"See, he _is_ a sneaky bastard." Koganei stiffened, although his eyes were downcast. With a reproachful glance at Domon, he turned around, heading for the door.

"Kaoru-kun, where are you going?" asked Yanagi, worriedly.

"I'm just…going for a walk, neechan," replied Koganei, turning around to flash her a half-hearted grin. "I'll be back soon though, don't worry."

Yanagi stared after him, even after he closed the door behind him. Mikagami, however, shot Domon an icy glance.

"What?" asked Domon, confused, causing Mikagami to sigh as he stood up.

"Mikagami-sempai, where are you going?" asked Yanagi, continuing to look worried.

"To my room."

"What about Fuuko?" asked Domon.

Mikagami shrugged. "She's only been gone for a while. If she's not back soon…_then_ we'll go and find her."

"But-"

"-_Look,_ Kirisawa can take care of herself perfectly well; as you no doubt saw during her match against Gashakura. She probably needed some time alone, so…let her have it." Mikagami shook his head in mock exasperation. "I've known her for _far_ less than you have, yet I seem to be the only one who actually respects her for her fighting abilities, as opposed to opting to protect her like some kind of…doll."

"You know," commented Saicho, once Mikagami disappeared from view. "He _is_ right about that…"

* * *

"Oy, Shido," called out a somewhat nasal voice. "What's the rush? It won't matter if we take a break for a couple of minutes, you know…"

"Are you kidding?" commented someone in a deep voice. "There are so many reasons why we need to hurry. You _do_ remember what we were told, don't you?" Fuuko caught the sound of a heavy sigh –probably from the first speaker.

"Sheesh, you people are no fun at all…"

In the short silence that ensued, she turned to stare at Kurei with raised eyebrows.

"The way you were acting, I thought –"

"-_Shut up_." She glared at Kurei.

"What-?"

"You know what Mori-sama said; we have to keep an eye on Kurei until the end of the tournament." The second speaker's voice cut off whatever it was that Fuuko had been about to say. Her green eyes narrowed as she heard the mention of the two familiar names.

They both heard a soft chuckle. "Ah, yes, but that kid doesn't know what we're doing, does he? There's no reason to worry, Shido."

"Are you _kidding_? This is _Kurei_ that we're talking about; he's a strong, if not _the_ strongest fighter in this whole bloody tournament! He could fry us _and_ Mori-sama whenever he wants to!" exclaimed Shido, sounding fed up with his light-hearted companion.

"Yeah, yeah…" Fuuko could just picture the other man waving his hand dismissively. "He wouldn't dare; he knows Mori-sama's got everything under control. If he so much as _thinks_ of doing something like that to Mori-sama…well, the young upstart knows what'll happen then." It was at this moment that Fuuko sensed the tensed shoulders of the masked man who was standing with her, hidden by the thick trunk of whatever tree they were standing behind.

"You never know…Kurei might have found a way to save her," said Shido, sounding tense. Fuuko's eyes narrowed. _'She'_…_I'm sure he just said she,_ she thought to herself. _But…who-?_

"Are you kidding? Do you think that his girlfriend…what was that chick's name? Ah. Kurenai. I heard she was mighty hot…wouldn't have minded having a 'run in' with her, if I had been here when she was alive. Heh. Anyway, do you think that Kurenai would be dead today if he had found a way of protecting people from the implanted bomb?"

"That doesn't mean that it's impossible!"

"_Relax_ Shido," said the second speaker, sounding serious this time. "Relax. Kurei knows how he should act, and how he _shouldn't_ act. If he goes against Mori-sama's wishes…well, it's 'goodbye Okaasan' for him." He paused. "He really does love his Okaasan –if he didn't, would he have abided by Mori-sama's rules all this time?"

"Yeah, you're right," agreed Shido, after a while. There was a brief moment of silence, before he spoke again. "Okay, we've had enough of a break…let's get going now. C'mon."

The wheels in Fuuko's brain were turning rapidly; even as she heard the men's footsteps grow fainter, as they walked away. She was busy processing everything that she had heard –and, it didn't sound very nice.

_Oh. My. God. _Her green eyes were wide as she slowly raised them to the deep blue pair that was just staring at her. _Of course. The person Mori's using to threaten him into obeying his orders –it's not some kind of _girlfriend_…it's his mother!_ The pain on her back had been pushed towards the furthest corner of her mind. She didn't notice the hardened gleam entering the Uruha leader's eyes.

He was absolutely furious, having heard everything the men had had to say about Kurenai and his mother. _If it wasn't for Okaasan…if…if I didn't actually care for her, Mori Koran and all of his employees would have been killed years ago…_He glanced at the Fuujin wielder and noted that she was still staring at him. It only took the expression on her face for him to know that she had figured out what she had wanted to.

And…was that _pity_ that he saw in her eyes?

Without a word, he released his grip on the brunette, not really bothering to note that pushing her against the tree-trunk was probably not the wisest thing to do, given the injuries she had on her back. He was walking away, almost desperate to get away from the girl, when she yanked on his arm.

"Wait," said Fuuko, snapped out of her thoughts when the man started to walk away. He paused, although he didn't turn around to face her. _She knows…by the time I meet Hokage in the final round, they'll _all_ know…_ "I…I just…I didn't know –"

"-I don't want your pity," he hissed, snatching his arm out of her grip. It took almost every ounce of will power that he had to stop himself from summoning Kurenai and at least injuring the girl enough to make her shut up.

"And I'm not going to give it to you," said Fuuko, as she grabbed his arm once more.

"Do you have a death wish?" questioned Kurei, quietly. Fuuko didn't bother answering him; she was too busy trying to think of the best way to put across the question she desperately wanted to ask him.

Realizing that there was no way to ask the question without coming across as being blunt, she sighed.

"I thought…" she paused. "Kurei, didn't your mother die?" The masked man stiffened once more, causing Fuuko to prod him further, hoping for an answer. "When…the Hokage village was attacked, 400 years ago…didn't she…die?"

This time, though, Kurei turned his head slightly, as though he _was_ listening to her. _How does she know? _"After we rescued Yanagi-chan from your mansion, Kagero-san revealed to us the whole story of the Hokage…and about you and Recca. That's how I know about your mother," explained Fuuko, as though she had known of his unasked question. "What was her name…Reiko? Iie…Remi –no, that doesn't sound –"

"…Reina," snapped Kurei, before he could stop himself.

"…Oh…" He didn't say anything more, much to her disappointment. "Kurei, if she died…then who does…who's Mori using to-" She drew back, startled, as the Uruha leader spun around to face her.

"You just _can't_ mind your business, can you?" he spat, not really needing to anything else to show her that he was mad…that he was _furious_. "Why? _Why _can't you all just _leave me alone_?" His hands were clenched into fists. "I thought I was _finished_ with Recca…with the _Hokage_, when I came here."

He stopped. "But _no_, I should have realized that things would never get any better for me. And, as if I don't have enough to put up with…" he paused to glare at the brunette, who was doing everything that she could to keep her hold on his arm without just turning and running away from him as fast as she could. "…There's _you_, poking your nose into business that in no way concerns you."

"Oh, I think it _does_ concern me," said Fuuko, swallowing a lump of…fear. "It concerns Recca, Yanagi-chan, Domon, Koganei, Mi-chan and Kagero-san too." She shook her head. "Don't you see? Don't you think we _deserve_ to know if you're _actually_ as heartless and cruel as you appear, or if it's just because you _have_ to be like that, in fear of…well, Mori detonating the-" Her breath hitched as a pale hand suddenly reached out, grabbing her by the front of her t-shirt. "-bomb inside of your mother?"

"Shut up," hissed Kurei, snarling once more.

"Make me," said Fuuko, crossly, although not as crossly as she would have liked. _That's _probably_ not the smartest thing for you to say right now, Fuuko-chan…_The glint in the masked-man's face told her that he _was_ going to make her shut up, and…if she was being quite honest, she was frightened. _Dammit. This wasn't supposed to happen…dammit, dammit…what do I do now? Dammit…should I use –but…he - I don't…_

Her eyes widened. _–I don't want to attack him…?_

"Are you worried now, Kirisawa Fuuko?" asked Kurei, only barely keeping the anger out of his voice. "Does it frighten you? The fact that I _can_ kill you in a few seconds?"

_Yes, you jerk, it does. It _more_ than frightens me…it'd make me shudder, if my pride hadn't intervened. Oh, and did I forget to mention yes, I'm terrified?_

"Yes," she admitted. "I _am_ frightened –but who wouldn't be frightened of death?" She paused only for a fraction of a second. "Everyone's frightened of death; even you. Why else would you do all of this to…protect your mother from Mori Koran?" _Just pray that someone finds your body in the morning, Fuuko-chan._

The blow, or rather _flame_ that she was expecting never came. In contrast to what she had expected, she was released abruptly. Pulling her t-shirt in place, she stared at the Uruha leader, cursing for the millionth time the fact that he wore a mask.

_Frightened of…death…?_ Kurei frowned, thoughtfully. _All this time, I thought…I was willing, that I wouldn't care if…I died…I thought I was not afraid of death…_

"Yes…" he said slowly. "I..." he trailed off, sounding thoughtful. Fuuko felt a stab of pity in her as she observed the man standing before her, before she forcefully pushed it away. He did not need hers or anyone else's pity.

Hesitantly clearing her throat; as though to remind the man of her presence;she approached him once more. "Kurei…?" He didn't say a word; he simply stared. "Could…" she cleared her throat again, "Could you…take off your mask…?" He just continued to stare at her. "…Please, Kurei? I…find it difficult, and annoying, to talk to someone when I can't see their…their face…"

A minute passed, quickly followed by another, and another, and another –without either of the two figures moving.

Slowly, very slowly, the Uruha leader raised his left arm (which was missing its sleeve), and removed the mask from his face. He still clutched the grey item tightly, however, as he glanced at the Fuujin-wielder.

"There," he said, distantly. "There. Now feel free to gloat with the knowledge that…I am not as invincible as people think. That I have my fair share of problems, if not _more_." He sneered at her. "Go ahead, Kirisawa Fuuko. I know you want to."

Fuuko's eyes narrowed once she had gotten over her initial surprise at the man actually taking off his mask. Stepping even closer to him, she raised her hand and brought it down sharply across the side of his face. The slap echoed across the deserted road.

"You're so full of yourself, aren't you?" she asked, looking disgusted. "You think that we actually _bother_ thinking about you all day, wondering at your invincible appearance, and envying the rich, easy life-style that you have?" She snorted. "Think again, Kurei. We have better things to do with our time. Even if we didn't, we…no, _I_, would _never_ gloat over something like this. I think…no, I _am_ annoyed that you actually think I would think I was superior in this instance, and that I would take pleasure in your…pain."

"I make your lives a living hell…it's the least you could do to-"

"-Will you just _get over_ yourself?!" yelled Fuuko, not bothering to conceal her anger. "Of all the…childish things…yes, we _do_ hate you, but we're _human_! No-one with half a heart would _ever_ think that _anyone_ would deserve such…such…" she trailed off, not quite finding the right word.

"You lie perfectly…I wonder who taught you how to…?" Fuming, Fuuko raised her hand, to slap him once more. This time, however, he caught her hand in a strong, painful grip. "I would watch my temper if I were you," snarled Kurei, his eyes glinting. "I _can_ kill you-"

"-You're just obsessed with that, aren't you; the fact that you're strong, that you can toast almost every single person taking part in this tournament, without breaking a sweat?" Fuuko shook her head. "That's nothing to be proud of, Kurei. In fact, I'd say that that kind of mentality is something I would expect of Mori Koran. Not of you."

Before he could say or do anything, she wrenched her arm free of his grasp, wincing as she did so. She sent him a disgusted glare, absently noting that her slap had left a rather bright mark on his pale face. "Grow up, Kurei. There are more important things in life than power, than _position_."

A saddened expression flashed across her face. "I really wish…you had been taken in by a better family when you arrived in the modern world; a family with whom you'd have learned that there is more to life than you currently believe in."

She thought she caught a glimpse of some foreign emotion in the Uruha leader's eyes, but it was gone when she blinked, so she just shrugged it off. Shaking her head slightly, she shot him one last, searching glance, before turning her back to him and walking away, the pain in her back only then making itself known after its brief period of hiatus.

Kurei stared after her, clutching his mask in one hand and with the other clenched into a fist. He watched the Fuujin-wielder until she disappeared from his view.

Taking a deep breath, he glanced down at his mask before putting it back on. With a last glance in the direction Fuuko had gone in, he turned and headed in the opposite direction.

_How can there be more to life than…power? People are vulnerable without _some_ sort of power…aren't they? Aren't…I?_

* * *

**A/N**

Phew, that was _looooooong_! I'm _really_ sorry about that, but I just didn't think that the whole Kurei/Fuuko bit would flow properly if I divided it into two chapters. Heh, clearly, the main focus of this chapter was on Kurei and Fuuko…and I hope I did it well!

Anyways, that's about it from me.

See ya in the next chapter!

Siriusgirl1


	9. The Uruha Mansion Again

**A/N**

Wow! I'm glad that you guys liked chapter eight! And even happier that no-one was put off because it was so long! After the previous chapter, I made up my mind not to make the chapters that long...but...I did it _again_! I hope no one minds... I do have a reason for doing that, though. I won't be able to put up any more updates for about two weeks. Sigh. See, I'm going off to Australia on Thursday...because I intend on starting university there. University starts in February, but I'm going early to spend time with my sister who's living there. And my mum won't let me spend my last couple of days at home on the computer, so...yeah...

But, once I _get_ there...I'm sure that I'll be able to start chapter ten, after a couple of days. I hope everyone's okay with that -and I _am_ really sorry for all of this.

**noonespecial: **I am _really_ glad that you liked the chapter! Thanks! Gasp...I don't think I updated as fast as I should have...ooops. Hehe. There's more Kurei/Fuuko interaction in this chapter, so I hope you enjoy it as well! I kind of hope that you don't kill me for the ending though -in the sense, if you want more, because...i'll only be updating in about two weeks. Hope this will keep you satisfied until then!Thanks once again for your review.

**loujane14: **Thank you; I'm happy that you like the fic -when I started it last year, I wasn't sure if anyone would like it...but I guess I was wrong. Hehe, exactly; Kurei _didn't_ need to take off his mask...but he did. And I'm sure that Fuuko was extremely surprised at that too. Hmm, that's a good question about what'll happen after the tournament. I do plan on going on with the fic after they finish the tournament, although I am sort of torn if I want to include the SODOM events from the manga, or if I want to...well, change it a bit. Hehe, since this _is_ a Kurei/Fuuko fic...I guess they _should_ end up together, right? We'll just have to wait and see! Thanks once more for your review! Oh...I just realized that you included your emailaddress in the review...I should have replied to that...ooops. I'll do that from now -if you'll review again!

**Lei: **You...really like the way I write? Wow, thanks! Hehe. I'm _really_ glad that you like this fic. There's more Kurei/Fuuko interaction in this chapter too...especially at the end, which I hope you'll like. You like the way I put them all together? Hah, thanks! I should tell this to my sister -she's not an anime fan, but she was 'bored' apparently and read the previous chapter and told me that I put in _way_ too much thoughts. Hmphf. Heheh, well, thanks anyway! Would you mind if I replied to your email address from now on? Or should I just reply to your review here? Hope you enjoy chapter 9!

**noir: **Glad to know you're loving it! I thought it might seem a bit odd, especially since I hadn't uploaded anything in a while! It sent shivers down your spine? (I never thought that was possible -as in, my fic doing that to anyone...) Hehe. Thanks a lot, and I hope you like this chapter too! (Btw, should I reply to your e-mail address, the one you've given, or should I just write out the review-response here?)

**mikaro: **Thanks for the review! Hehe, I'm glad that they seem nice together -at the beginning, I was wondering if anyone would see it that way -and I guess they do...well, thanks again, and I hope you enjoy this chapter!

Well, here's chapter nine for all of you! Hope you like it too!

* * *

**Chapter Nine: The Uruha Mansion – Again**

"Oi! That was _my_ fish-bun!" exclaimed Domon, as he glared at a rather smug Recca.

"Whatever," said the ninja, shooting him a smug grin, "You shouldn't eat so much anyway…" Domon's eyes narrowed.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"What do you think that's supposed to mean?"

"Why you –" Domon spluttered, before forcing a grin on his face. "Well, at least I'm not _puny_ like _you_!"

"Excuse me?"

"You're excused."

"That's it. I'm gonna k-" A pillow hit the Hokage leader right in the middle of his face, and the force of the hit caused him to topple off the edge of the bed that he had been seated on. He landed on the floor with a loud thud, the bun rolling somewhere underneath the bed.

Domon stared at the place he had been seated in, surprised, before turning to where the pillow had come from. Seated on the other bed was Mikagami, with an annoyed expression on his face.

"Keep the noise down, monkeys," he said. "Not all of us enjoy the noisy, zoo-like environment that you're used to." Even though the long-haired boy had said monkeys; i.e. in its plural form; Domon didn't even bother to react. With Recca, he knew that he could challenge or punch him or whatever if _he_ called him a monkey…but this was Mikagami; Mikagami who could probably kick his ass in his _sleep_.

Recca, however, didn't seem to have this problem. He leapt up from where he had fallen onto the ground, an ugly expression on his face.

"Mikagami! What the hell do you think you're doing?" he yelled, clutching the pillow tightly in his hands.

"Reading," was the curt reply he got from his long-haired teammate.

"Reading?" spluttered Recca, "Then why'd you hurl this at me?" Mikagami shrugged, which only served the further infuriate the Hokage leader. "And you, Koganei! What the hell are you laughing for?!"

Koganei, who was sprawled out at the foot of the bed Mikagami was seated on, merely continued to laugh. He only stopped when Recca hurled the pillow at his face. "Recca-niichan!" he protested, sitting up hurriedly. "What was that for?"

"For laughing…you…you brat."

"Brat? I'm not a _brat_! Niichan!"

Domon shook his head slowly. "Honestly, you're both acting like 5 year olds…" he said, truthfully, causing the two to turn on him.

"Yeah? Well you weren't acting adult-like when Recca niichan grabbed your fish-bun," said Koganei, while Recca nodded in agreement.

"Neither was _he_ when he _grabbed_ the bun," protested Domon, loudly.

"_What_ will it take for the three of you to _shut up_?" asked Mikagami, icily, as he was forced to glance up from the book he was reading. How was someone supposed to do something as simple as _read_ when morons like his three roommates were being so…moronic?

As one, Recca, Domon and Koganei turned to stare at him with different expressions on their faces; Recca and Koganei had wide smiles on their faces whilst Domon looked as though he knew why they were smiling and therefore looked the slightest bit apprehensive.

"You want to know?" questioned Recca, as he crawled back on to his bed and grabbed a pillow. Mikagami narrowed his eyes.

"Hanabishi," he said, warningly.

"I think you'll like it," added Koganei, as he grabbed one of the pillows lying next to Mikagami.

"PILLOW FIGHT!!!!" yelled Recca, as he _and_ Koganei flung their pillows at the Ensui-master.

"I, will not be reduced to-" Mikagami ducked, avoiding one pillow, "-taking part in such childish-" he avoided the second pillow, "-antics. If the lot of you would grow up, you'd---" Unfortunately for him, he had not seen the third pillow being thrown. And unfortunately for Domon, the third pillow _did_ hit its target. "_Ishijima…"_

Domon gulped. "Uh…I think –IpromisedFuukothatI'dgoforawalkwithher!" he exclaimed, as he jumped off the bed and headed towards the door. It was too bad that Mikagami was excellent at whatever he did, even if it was for the first time in his life, like hurling whatever was closest to him at whoever it was he wanted maimed…or concussed. Domon didn't make it too far before the flashlight hit him smack on the back of the head.

Recca and Koganei stared at Domon, before turning to each other and shrugging. It was at that moment that Domon chose to jump to his feet and stare at Mikagami. In reality, he tried glaring, but with a large mountain-like lump on the back of his head, he didn't create that much of a scary picture.

"Dog pile on the ice-block!" he yelled, as he charged at the said ice-block.

As Koganei glanced at him, questioningly, Recca shrugged. "What the hell; it's all in the name of fun," he said, as he headed towards the now slightly paler Ensui-master. It was too bad that the Ensui was in the cupboard at the _other_ end of the room. And that he had thrown the one thing he could have used as a weapon away from him –the flashlight.

Koganei stared at his three room-mates, surprised. _Aren't they the slightest bit nervous about the final round? Or...is this there way of dealing with that nervousness and pressure...?_

"Alright then," he muttered, "Gomen, Mikagami-niichan."

* * *

**Meanwhile:**

As she entered the room, Kagero winced at the noise that assaulted her ears. Quickly closing the door behind her, she put down the two bags she held in her hands; one containing a box of pastries and other things, while the other was full of canned drinks.

"Girls, would you mind putting-" it was obvious that neither of the girls heard her. Yanagi sat at the furthest corner of the room with her back to the door, whilst Fuuko was sprawled on the bed –apparently asleep. And yet, music blared at rather high levels from the small CD-player that Fuuko had brought with her.

Shaking her head, she walked towards the CD-player and deftly turned it off.

"Kagero-san," greeted Yanagi, turning around the moment the music stopped. "When did you get back?"

"A minute or two ago," answered Kagero, giving her a small smile just as Fuuko sat up, looking a little bit annoyed until she saw the black-haired woman standing next to it. "Was it really necessary to listen to…what you were listening to at _that_ volume?"

"Gomen," said Fuuko, albeit distantly. "It takes my mind off…stuff…" With a heavy sigh, the Fuujin-wielder flopped back down on the bed, closing her eyes as she did so. Kagero raised her eyebrows at Yanagi, wondering at the usually cheerful girl's odd behaviour.

When Yanagi shook her head, the Hokage ninja turned back to the Fuujin-wielder. "Fuuko?"

"Hnn?"

"Is something wrong?" Fuuko didn't answer for a moment –she simply continued to lie down with her eyes close. Exchanging another quick glance with Yanagi, Kagero continued to probe the younger girl. "Is everything…alright?"

Sighing inwardly, the Fuujin-wielder sat up once more. The moment she met the older woman's gaze, she forced a smile on her face. "Of course, Kagero-san," she said, lightly. "Everything's fine."

"Are you sure?" Fuuko nodded again. "You're not…injured again, are you? Yanagi _did_ heal your injuries yesterday, if I'm not mistaken…"

"Yup," said Fuuko, shooting her friend a grateful glance. "She did heal them. Even when I was stupid enough to not tell her about a few of them…" Yanagi smiled at her.

"It was stupid," she agreed, "but you did promise me that you wouldn't do that again…so I'm going to hold you onto that, okay?" Fuuko nodded, although it was obvious to her two companions that the smile on her face was a forced one.

"Fuuko, if there's anything you need to talk about…"

"-I know, Kagero-san," said Fuuko immediately, when the older lady paused. "If there's anything I need to talk about, I can always come to you or Yanagi-chan." She ran a hand through her short brown hair, vaguely noticing the worried expression on Yanagi's face. It bothered her that the girl was worried, mainly due to the way she was acting, but she chose to ignore it. That was what friends were there for, wasn't it? To worry?

Turning over on her side, so that her back was facing the door, Fuuko glanced at Kagero again. "I think I'm going to have a short nap…if anyone needs anything…well, just wake me up, okay?"

"Of course," said Kagero, perplexed at the girl's behaviour, but choosing to say nothing more about it. "Yanagi, would you like to come outside and help me with those?" She pointed at the two bags she had brought with her.

"Hai," said Yanagi, as she scrambled to her feet, leaving her drawing materials where they were. With a last worried glance at Fuuko, she followed Kagero out of the room the three females shared.

Once they were outside, Yanagi immediately turned to Kagero.

"She's been like this for a while now, Kagero-san," she said softly, just in case the other girl heard her. "I don't know what's going on, or what happened, but…it's a bit worrying." Kagero, who was in the process of emptying the drinks she brought onto a table in the kitchen, paused and stared at the younger girl.

"Did she tell you where she went yesterday?" she questioned, curiously. Yanagi nodded.

"She said she just went for a walk…" She sighed. "Because Recca-kun's worried glances were getting a bit too much for her…"

"…I see…" Kagero frowned. She didn't tell the worried healer this, but…she was worried. Worried about what was going on with Fuuko, and what it was doing to Recca, and thus, what it was doing to her and Yanagi. It was obvious that Recca was…suspicious about what had happened to Fuuko the day that she had ended up in the Uruha mansion. Similarly, it was obvious that he suspected Kurei of planning this 'kidnapping'. But…Fuuko wouldn't lie, saying that Kurei _didn't_ do anything to her if he had done something. She wasn't a person like that, and besides, why would she want to shield Kurei?

"Kagero-san…?" called Yanagi, noticing the distant look on the older woman's face.

"Ah, gomen," apologized Kagero, "I was just…thinking…"

"Oh." Yanagi fiddled with the box of pastries. "Fuuko-chan seems to be doing a lot of that too…" Kagero shot her a quizzical glance. "Thinking," explained Yanagi, "she seems to be thinking about something…an awful lot too…"

Kagero was silent for a moment. She really did want to know what was bothering the Fuujin-wielder, but she also knew that she couldn't force anything out of the girl. They had done their part, telling her that she could always speak to them about what was on her mind…it was up to Fuuko to do the rest.

"I just hope that…nothing goes wrong…" she said, softly, "Not now, when the finals are around the corner."

* * *

**A little while later:**

"Kurei-sama?"

"… … …"

"Kurei-sama?"

"… … …"

"…Kurei-sama?" By this time, the long-haired ninja was beginning to look a little worried. Who wouldn't, when all the Uruha leader did was just stare out of the window? Taking a few steps closer to the man, the ninja decided to try again. "Kurei-sama?"

He jumped when the door to the office was all but flung open, and when the jokester of the Uruha made his way inside. Once he saw the ninja, Joker waved a hand merrily at him.

"Yo, Raiha-han! How're you doing?" Raiha smiled at him, despite his concern for his master.

"I'm doing well, Joker…and you?" he questioned, politely.

"Pshaw," said Joker, waving a hand dismissively. "No need to be so…formal, Raiha-han." He grinned. "But I'm doing well too. Can't wait for the final round –I _finally_ get to take part in some fighting." He pouted. "It's been _so_ boring here!"

Raiha was forced to sweat-drop at that comment. _How can a person be bored when he's taking part in the Urabutousatsujin?_ He was snapped out of his thoughts when he heard a loud exclamation from the jokester. It seemed that he had only just spotted the other occupant of the office.

"Eh? What happened to him?" asked Joker, sounding surprised.

"That's what I'd like to know," said Raiha, as he turned his attention back onto the Uruha leader. This surprised Joker even more; if there was _anyone_ in the Uruha who would know what was wrong with the masked-man…it was Raiha…and now, _he_ didn't know what was up either?

Shoving his surprise aside, Joker shrugged before heading towards the Uruha leader. "Ano –Joker, I don't think-"

"-Aw, have some faith in me. I'll get our good old, loveable Kurei-han back!" exclaimed Joker, before bending down so he was level with the seated man's ear. "OI KUREI-HAN, WATCHA DOING?"

Raiha's eyes widened as the Uruha leader almost jumped a foot in the air, clearly startled. He sweat-dropped instead when Kurei, in slow motion, turned around so that he was facing the probably suicidal Joker. "Ah, so you _can_ be surprised so much that you jump a foot in the air." Joker tilted his head to a side. "And to think I thought that nothing in this world could surprise you. Not bad, Kurei-han, not bad…"

Joker waited, still grinning, for the snarl that usually escaped the Uruha leader's mouth whenever he did something stupid…and _perhaps_ for the summoning of Kurenai.

But to his immense surprise, it didn't happen. _Neither_ of the two things happened.

The expression on Joker's face –of what could be _seen_ of his face- when he glanced at Raiha, was a stunned one. "Raiha-han," whispered the jokester, "something's wrong…_very_ wrong…"

But Raiha wasn't paying any attention to Joker. He was just staring at Kurei, who had not worn his mask as he usually did. It was because of this that the ninja caught sight of the bright red mark on the Uruha leader's face –the bright red _slap_ mark.

"Kurei-sama…?" Kurei turned his attention on the ninja, and, Raiha took in a sharp breath. _His eyes…they're…different._ "Kurei-sama…are you…alright?"

Kurei nodded slowly. "…Yes," he said, hoarsely, "of course I…am." Raiha frowned.

"Are you ill, Kurei-sama? Or perhaps…a little tired?" Kurei shook his head, looking as though it hurt him to do just that.

"No," he said, just as hoarsely as before. Joker, who had been looking from Raiha to the unmasked Uruha leader, decided that it was time for him to involve himself in the conversation.

"Kurei-han, do you know what I think?" The Uruha leader didn't look as though he cared what _anyone_ thought. "I think you need a night out –eh, something wrong, Raiha-han?" Raiha shook his head politely. "Humph. Anyway, where was I? Ah, yes…I think you need a night out, Kurei-han. You know, drinking, spilling out all your woes –that kind of thing…hmm…since we can't very well go _out_, how about you send me to go get some drinks and we…give you a night out _here_?"

"Joker, I don't think that Kurei-sama –"

"-Leave me alone," said Kurei hoarsely, interrupting the ninja as he spoke. "Why won't you people just leave me alone? What will it take for me to _make_ you leave me alone?" His face seemed to harden with each question he asked.

Raiha frowned. _But your eyes, Kurei-sama…they tell a different story; that you _don't_ want to be left alone…_

"Kurei-han," started Joker, taking advantage of Raiha's thoughtful silence. "If we were to leave you alone more than we do now, you'd become a hermit." He held his hands defensively in front of him when Raiha turned to look at him. "What? It's true! As it is, everyone in this house goes out of their way to leave him alone –if _we_ were to do it too…heavens, we'd have a _hermit_ for a leader!"

"Ano, Joker-"

"-And why would _you_ care?" questioned Kurei, not seeming to care that he was continually interrupting the brunet ninja. "Of what concern is it, to you?"

"Kurei-sama," said Raiha, sounding surprised –which, in all reality, he _was_. _He is acting strange…too strange. I don't like this._ "What are you saying, Kurei-sama? Are you sure you are feeling-"

"-_Yes_, Raiha, I am sure." Joker watched the exchange, equally, if not _more_ surprised than the ninja was. True, he hadn't been in the Uruha for as long as Raiha had, but he had been in the organization for long enough to notice when its leader was acting…out of character. And today, it only started with the man not wearing his mask, having what looked suspiciously like a slap-mark on his face and…well, acting…strange.

He was acting so strange…so…_emotional_, in a way…that Joker began to wonder if the man standing before them was an imposter; an imposter that was put in place by Mori Koran, hoping to get bits and pieces of information from the faithful Uruha assassins. Or maybe the imposter was put in place by Kurei himself, to find out who exactly was loyal to him.

Being…well, Joker, the assassin decided to voice this thought out.

"Kurei-han…" he said, in an extremely serious tone, drawing both men's attention to him. "Are you…" here, the jokester lowered his voice a little. "…an _imposter_?"

"Joker!" exclaimed Raiha, with wide eyes. "This isn't an imposter –this _is_ Kurei-sama."

"Oh yeah?" asked Joker, "Then explain to me why I haven't been deep-fried, or Kurenai-d by now."

"Because…" Raiha paused. He didn't have an answer because, in truth, it was what he had been wondering as well. "…I don't know…" he admitted, after a short pause.

"See?" Joker put his hands on his hips. "Either he's an imposter, or Kurei-han's actually becoming _human_ and developing the thing we like to call _emotions_." He shook his head. "Since the second theory is virtually impossible, I'd go with the first one; i.e. the imposter."

"Leave me alone," said Kurei, as he turned his back on the two loyal assassins. Joker opened his mouth, no doubt to argue in his own unique way, when the Uruha leader interrupted him. "_Please?_"

Joker did nothing to stop his jaw from hitting the ground and practically drilling a hole in it, but Raiha, being the more…mature person, made sure that all he did was just stare.

'_Please'? Kurei-han said…please?_

_Kurei-sama…what's going on? This is getting more and more worrying by the minute…_

Bowing even though the man couldn't see him, Raiha nodded. "Of course, Kurei-sama. As you wish." He turned around. Joker, however, stood in place, still staring the Uruha leader as though he had grown another pair of heads. "Joker," whispered Raiha, laying a hand on his arm. "Come on, let's go."

"But…" Joker glanced warily at the dark-haired man. "What about -?" Raiha shook his head.

"He wants to be left alone for some time…let's go, Joker."

"I know –" Joker sighed. "Hai, hai, whatever you say, Raiha-han." He turned towards the prone Uruha leader again. "…Just one word of advice, Kurei-han…please, _please_ don't go all suicidal on us and jump out the window or something…okay?" As he had expected (or maybe not, it _was_ Joker after all), he didn't receive any reply of any sort. With an inward sigh, he followed Raiha outside.

_Maa……is the world going to end or something? It sure seems that way._ Joker frowned. _I wonder what's got Kurei-han acting so……strange._

* * *

Kirisawa Fuuko was not doing too well, as she continued to shift her position on her bed. Yanagi and Kagero hadn't bothered her since early in the morning, and for that she was somewhat grateful; she didn't think she could calmly handle any more questions about her well-being. She just couldn't. Sighing, she closed her eyes. 

'_I don't want your pity'._

Her eyes were opened in a flash, as the image of familiar face flashed in her head; a familiar, partially scarred face. It frustrated her to no end, the fact that ever since she had returned to the apartment the night before, all she had been seeing whenever she closed her eyes was the Uruha leader. Kurei.

_Urgh, Fuuko-chan, you've really got to sort yourself out,_ she thought to herself, as she stared at the drawn curtains she was facing,_ the finals are coming up too…_that's_ your top priority, not Kurei._

Her expression softened somewhat. _But…he needs help…he looked so…vulnerable…_ And that _was_ true; he had looked more vulnerable than she had ever thought him capable of, during their meeting the night before.

And_ he's the enemy, the one who's a threat to Yanagi-chan's freedom,_ reminded her conscience, causing her to frown. Yeah, that _was_ correct…but, at the same time…

_The incident with Magensha_, she thought, mentally, _he punished him for trying to kidnap Yanagi-chan –which wasn't part of the agreement. He keeps his word, at least._

_He punished Magensha because he found out the man was taking orders from Mori Koran,_ countered her conscience, _not because he was trying to be good or something for a change. Sheesh, I understand the fact that you want to see the good side in people, but this is just too much._

She shook her head hurriedly, although this time, she looked confused more than anything else. It didn't make sense; from what she had gathered, Kurei…was…cornered, as it were, with no choice but to follow his father's, to follow _Mori's_ orders. By now, she had come to the conclusion that, yes, Kurei's _biological _mother _was_ dead; there was no way she _couldn't_ be dead. Then…who was the person the two men were talking about the other day?

_His 'Okaasan'…who is she? When Recca was sent to this time, Hanabishi-san took him in…and raised him as his own son. So…Mori must have taken Kurei in, much like what Hanabishi-san did. _Fuuko frowned slightly. Somehow, no matter how sensible the thought _sounded_, she just couldn't imagine Mori Koran doing something as kind as picking up an orphaned, lost boy from the streets, and taking him in as his son. _Mori's just…not that kind of a person._

_But then, if it wasn't Mori who took him in…who-?_ It hit her then, so suddenly and…accurately that she wondered why she hadn't thought of it before. _Mori's wife! He _must_ have had a wife……_She paused. _Would he be so cruel as to…endanger the life of his wife, though? Surely he cares about _her_ at least?_

As the thoughts continued to circulate inside her head, Fuuko resisted the urge to scream out loud in frustration. She couldn't, for the life of her, understand what was going on. Well, no, that wasn't entirely true; she had a pretty good idea of what was going on. She just…needed to know a few more things…like who exactly the mentioned 'Okaasan' was…and…

_And…if there's any way I can help him…_

"Stop it, Fuuko," she muttered to herself. "Stop it…you have other things to focus on…so stop thinking about Kurei. It's not going to get you anywhere…" And that, the sensible part of her brain told her, _was_ true.

"Fuuko-?" The Fuujin-wielder froze as she heard the familiar voice. Slowly turning around, she found herself staring at a somewhat surprised Kagero. She only needed a glimpse at the older lady's face to know that she had had heard her.

"K…Kagero-san…" she stammered, sitting up hurriedly. There was a short silence in the room, as its two occupants stared at each other.

"Fuuko," started Kagero, once more, as she did her best to keep the troubled note out of her voice. "What –" She trailed off abruptly when Fuuko quickly slid off the bed. Kagero caught a glimpse of the girl's red face as she rushed past her.

"-I…I'll be right back…" she said, hurriedly, before quickly leaving the room. Kagero stood where she was as the room door was closed behind her.

_Oh Fuuko…what's happening here…?_

* * *

She stuffed her hands into her pockets as she walked down around the area with the little shops and the restaurants where the fans and participants of the Urabutousatsujin usually interacted. Some of her fans (i.e. perverted men) waved at her from whatever they were doing, trying to get her attention, but she didn't see them. She didn't pay any attention to anyone; she was focused instead on the expression on Kagero's face when she had walked into the room. 

_Urgh…she heard me; she _so_ heard me,_ she moaned inwardly, _Kagero-san probably thinks that I…oh god, I hope she didn't misinterpret what she heard…_

But a voice in her head told her that there _was_ nothing for the older woman to misinterpret; she _was_ thinking a lot about Kurei, wasn't she?

"Hey…hey there, isn't that Hokage's Kirisawa Fuuko?" At the mention of her name, the Fuujin-wielder looked up, looking around her and trying to locate whoever it was that had called her name. She eventually spotted the group of men –the group of slimy, smirking men, who were looking at her. Narrowing her green eyes, she continued walking.

"What's wrong, Fuuko? Aren't we attractive enough for you?" called out another man, as they all moved towards her. Again, Fuuko ignored him, choosing to keep walking. "Hey, honey, we _are_ talking to you……"

Fuuko, who was mentally chanting to herself that she shouldn't waste her attention on the likes of them, was forced to stop when one of them grabbed her arm. She whirled around, eyes narrowed, only to meet the smirking face of a dark-haired man. "What's wrong, love? Not in the mood for some good fun?"

And just like that, the brunette lost her temper.

"Let go of my arm if you know what's good for you," she snarled, trying to ease her arm out of the dark-haired man's grip. The man merely tightened his grip on her arm. _That's it; no more Mr. nice guy. _"You asked for it," she hissed, before wrenching her arm out of the man's grasp, quickly raising her other arm and slapping the man hard across the face.

The image of this happening to someone else, the previous night, popped up in her head once more, causing her to very nearly lose her concentration as the men's expressions turned ugly.

"You'll pay for that, you –" but before the man could finish what he was saying, Fuuko had kneed him low-down. She watched in grim satisfaction as he fell to the ground, moaning all the while.

"Anyone _else_ wants the same kind of treatment?" she asked icily as she turned to the rest of the men. "I'd be happy to oblige you……"

"We're not afraid of you," snapped one of the men, bravely, as he took a step forward. "You _are_ just a puny girl after all. What _can_ you do to---" He was sent reeling backwards by a particularly strong kick, courtesy of Fuuko. _I guess this dimwit hasn't watched any of my matches, if he thinks I'm just a 'puny' girl._

But she wasn't amused by what was going on. No, on the contrary, she was _furious._ Not only was she on the verge of tearing her hair out thanks to her conflicting _and_ concerned thoughts, and god only knew what Kagero-san thought about what she had overheard…but…now she had to deal with a bunch of obnoxious, perverted men? No, that was asking for _way_ too much from her.

She had only just turned her attention to the remaining, now worried-looking men, when she heard her name being called out.

"Fuuko-haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaan!!!"

"…Joker," muttered Fuuko, as she turned around and spotted the strangely-dressed man heading towards her.

"Watcha doing, Fuuko-han?" asked Joker, once he reached the brunette. "What's---" a groan from one of the two men Fuuko had dealt with caught his attention. "…Ah, I see…_that's_ what you're doing…" He cocked his head to a side. "That's an interesting past-time, Fuuko-han…"

Fuuko simply raised her eyebrows at the jokester, causing him to sigh. "_Why_ is no-one amused with my attempts to lighten the mood, today?" _First Kurei-han…and now Fuuko-han. Honestly, it's depressing. _He paused. _Ack, am I losing my touch??_

"Because no-one's in a very good mood today," answered Fuuko, before turning her attention back to the men who were now fleeing –save for the two who were still sprawled on the ground. Joker winced as he saw one of the said men clamber to his feet, covering a…rather sensitive part of his anatomy. _Maa, Fuuko-han…you can be _really_ unforgiving, can't you? _

"Well, Fuuko-han, how about you and I –" he quickly held his hands in front of himself defensively as the Fuujin-wielder turned narrowed green eyes on him. "-Just hang out for a while, Fuuko-han. That's all. Honest."

Fuuko eyed him warily. Truth be told, they didn't know much about this Joker guy…heck, she wasn't sure if _anyone_ did. He had suddenly appeared half way during the tournament, and had managed to become friends with…well, almost everyone he _wanted_ to make friends with. _Oh come _on_ Fuuko,_ she thought to herself, _he's just a…funny, insane –in a good way- guy. You've never suspected him before, so…why bother now? _

_Besides, you need to take your mind off Kurei, it'll explode if you don't, you silly girl._

Sighing, Fuuko refocused her attention on the taller male standing beside her. "Alright," she said, shrugging. "Fine." Joker clapped his hands gleefully.

"Great!!" he exclaimed, as he grabbed one of her hands as well. "Hmm…now, what should we do? Maybe have something to eat…? Or go for a walk…?" Fuuko shrugged at each option –after slipping her hand out of her companion's grip, of course. In all honesty, she wasn't too hungry (which was shocking in itself)…nor did she feel the need to go for a walk.

"Whatever you want," she said, quietly. Something in the girl's voice made Joker turn his attention to her, and he didn't like the expression he saw on her face. True, he didn't really know the Fuujin-wielder _or_ anyone else in the Hokage very well, but he knew them enough to know when they were acting odd. _And believe me, _he thought,_ Fuuko-han's acting odd._

Firstly, she would _never_ have accepted his offer of hanging out for a while –she didn't know him too well to do that. Secondly……well, she was unnaturally _quiet_…something that Kirisawa Fuuko of the Hokage _rarely_ was. Something was wrong…very wrong. _Mou, what's up with these people and acting all weird today? Is it…some kind of nervous attack before the final-round? That would certainly explain a few things. Although…Kurei-han's behaviour was worrying……_

Snapping himself out of his thoughts when he noticed the girl was still looking at him, Joker placed a smile on his face. "Ahaha, gomen, Fuuko-han! Just zoned out for a bit!" He flashed her a peace sign. "So, how're you doing? The final round's coming up, isn't it? Are you excited?"

"The…final round…?"

"Hai…you know, the round where you meet Uruha Kurenai…" explained Joker, "Do you reckon the Hokage have a chance against Kurei-han?" He waited, anticipating an explosion from the brunette, followed by a yell about how the Hokage would always have a chance against Kurei.

Was he surprised when he _didn't_ get the reaction he had expected.

Fuuko, on the verge of telling all of her thoughts to fly a kite (to put it _mildly_), froze when the jokester mentioned the one name she had been trying to forget. _Kurei…Kurei…it's _all_ about Kurei,_ she thought, crossly, _every single time I try and forget about him –and _god_, do I try- someone just _has_ to mention his name!_ _Kami-sama, why are you doing this to me? Do you enjoy torturing me like this?_

Her shoulders slumped as she remembered the expression, the last expression that she had seen on the Uruha-leader's face before she had left him; it had been a…lost expression…one that had made her want to turn around and apologize profusely, saying she hadn't meant what she had said earlier. That, coupled with the…odd sensation she had felt since their last meeting (the odd sensation that suspiciously felt like…remorse…or guilt), made her make up her mind.

She _had_ to see him. Now.

"Joker, I'm really, _really_ sorry, but…we'll have to do this some other day," she said, quickly looking at the jokester.

"Eh?"

"I…uh, I need to go. As in, I _really_ need to go. Right now." _How I'm going to _get_ there, I have no idea…but…it's something I have to do…_

"Ano, if you say so, Fuuko-han…" said Joker, sounding a tad bit confused. _Okaaaay, one minute Fuuko-han's all depressed…and the next she's…excited…?_ "But where---"

"-I'll see you around, Joker! Thanks!" with a big smile and wave at him, the Fuujin-wielder ran past him. He stared after her, a big question mark hanging above his head.

_I, _he decided, _am officially confused._

* * *

**Some time later:**

He was in the library once more, in his usual seat. This time, however, he wasn't reading; he didn't think he could have taken up a book and attempted to read it even if he had wanted to.

'_There's more to life than power!'_

Deep-blue eyes narrowed as the words repeated themselves in his head. Ever-since his…chance encounter with the brunette, his thoughts had centered on her. Either what she had told him or what he had observed of her.

And he didn't like it one bit.

_Are you trying to lie to yourself, you fool?_ His eyes narrowed further as he listened to the voice in his head. _You 'don't like it one bit'? Hah! That's a nice one. Try telling that to someone who _doesn't_ know you at all._

His hand unconsciously reached up to tug at some of his black bangs; a habit that he had developed years ago, but hadn't really thought much about. He hadn't worn his mask for the whole day…a feat which should have surprised him, but which didn't. _Of course I don't like it one bit. What _are_ you talking about? It's Kirisawa Fuuko…my _enemy_. I am not supposed to…be thinking about the enemy every minute of the day. _

He was sure he heard mocking laughter in his head, causing him to freeze suddenly. Great, now he had _insanity_ to add to his list of problems? How lovely.

_Ah yes, technically, you're _not_ supposed to be thinking about the enemy, but…in _this_ instance, you don't mind, do you?_ The Uruha leader frowned, choosing to ignore the voice in his head. He didn't need to listen to it; he had enough problems as it was.

Like dealing with the _spies_ that he knew his father had set in place. His anger resurfaced as his mind wondered back to what he had heard the two men discuss, the night before. Not only had they…spoken crudely of Kurenai, but they had _enjoyed_ talking about the sadistic game his father was playing with him. _Enjoyed_ it –were they even _human_?

_Okaasan…_he thought, as he stared blankly ahead of him, _what should I do? I…don't want to continue like this. Its _madness_, following his orders…_his voice trailed off. _But, if I don't…if I ever disobey him, Okaasan, you…you will…_ He stopped, not needing to continue with the thought.

The Fuujin-wielder, he realized, was right; he _was_ afraid of death, just like every other normal person he knew. The realization had taken some time to sink in, as he had never believed himself to be afraid of anything, much less death. He had always thought that he had been through hell and thus, death would be nothing compared to it. Apparently, he was wrong.

'_Of all the…childish things…yes, we _do_ hate you, but we're _human!_ No-one with half a heart would _ever_ think that _anyone_ deserves such…such…'_ He remembered all too well how the Fuujin-wielder's voice had trailed off, as she struggled to find the appropriate word to describe what he had been through.

_Hell, Fuuko…the word you were looking for, its hell._ It puzzled him to the point of…annoyance, about how the Fuujin-wielder could continue to be so…emotional. Not in the sense that she burst into tears whenever something bad happened –hell, he'd _never_ seen her cry, not even when she had been badly hurt…she was just…very outspoken…and direct. She wasn't afraid to say what she felt.

And that puzzled him because, as far as _he_ was concerned, he was her _enemy_; he was making her best-friend's life a living _hell_; he was threatening another friend of hers; he was…just evil. And still, _still_, she found it in her to…_feel _for him.

Kirisawa Fuuko……what a puzzle _she_ was.

Recognizing the signals of exhaustion that his body was sending him, the Uruha leader wasn't surprised. His mind had been taxed so much that he supposed it had used up the energy reserves that he had had, stored in him. He had never thought that _thinking_ so much could cause a person to become tired. Obviously, he had thought wrong.

Besides, in addition to _that_, he had been overseeing the training of the collection of would-be assassins. In the rather…dazed state of mind he had been in, during one of the mock-battles he had had with one of them, he had ended up getting his upper right arm sliced –something which he hadn't even bothered thinking about, as he had received much worse. But it did hurt…and it was starting to annoy him…he just hoped that the would-be assassin he had been fighting didn't let the fact that he managed to injure him give him a big-head.

_How embarrassing for the leader of the Uruha to be wounded –albeit insignificantly- by an assassin in training._

Heaving a tired sigh, he buried his face in his hands, wearily. He needed a break. A long break…where he needed to hide himself in a place where no-one would be able to find him; where he would be able to just…be by himself for a while. Unfortunately, his kind of job didn't come with vacations or anything of the sort.

Re-calling his behaviour earlier in the day, when Raiha and Joker had come to his office, he bit back a curse. He didn't think he wanted to know what the two assassins had thought of his peculiar behaviour. Even though…there _was_ a part of him –a _small_ part of him- that…was gratified to know that they cared…

He let out another sigh, as a random thought suddenly popped into his head.

_I wonder what it would have felt like…to have been taken in by…a different family…a normal family._

* * *

**Meanwhile:**

"-And, _this_…this is the piece of artwork that I'm proud of the most," commented Yanagi, as she picked up one of the drawings that were on the coffee-table. "It's of Kaoru-kun defeating Tsukeshiro-kun. I hope I got the colors right, because I just guessed the colors to use for Tsu---" she stopped when she saw that her companion wasn't looking at the drawing. "…Kagero-san?"

The dark-haired lady looked up with a start. "Yanagi," she said, sending her a weak smile. "Gomen…you were saying…?" Frowning slightly, Yanagi put the drawing back on the table, before turning to the older lady once more.

"Kagero-san," she started, "What's wrong? This isn't the first time that you've zoned out today…is something bothering you?" When Kagero opened her mouth to reply, Yanagi shook her head slowly. "Iie, Kagero-san, don't lie; I can see that something is bothering you."

Kagero stared at the younger girl for a moment, before sighing. She knew that she had decided earlier to not worry the gentle healer…but…she was the only one with whom she could speak to, about what was going on. "It's Fuuko…" she said, at last.

Yanagi furrowed her brows. "Fuuko-chan?" she echoed. "What…about her?"

"I…" Kagero stopped. "Well, I think there's something…wrong with her."

"Wrong? What do you mean?"

"Gomen, Yanagi, I don't mean anything _serious_ like that…at least, I hope not…" assured Kagero, seeing the worried expression on the girl's face. "It's just…well, I think that she's…got a lot on her mind these days. You know, about…Kurei…" She was surprised to see the younger girl nod.

"Yes, you're right," she said. "The finals _are_ around the corner…I think the pressure of that, the pressure of facing Kurei and –"

"-No, Yanagi, I mean…she's thinking about Kurei –_just_ Kurei…and not in relation to the finals either. It's just about Kurei." Yanagi's brown eyes widened.

"_Just _about…Kurei?" Kagero nodded. "Do you…mean about Kurenai-san and Kurei? About…about what happened in his…past?"

"Yes," said Kagero, "And…about Kurei in general…"

"Kagero-san, has Recca-kun been talking to you?" Kagero shook her head as she shot the girl a questioning glance. "No, I was just asking…" She paused. "I _have_ heard her talk about Kurei…but just once before…during the practice-match that Fuuko-chan had with Recca-kun. And what she said was…just…well, about how we shouldn't judge him –which I do agree with…"

Kagero nodded. "And she has been asking Kaoru-kun a few questions about Kurei too…"

"Kagero-san, there's no need to be so worried about this! You know what Fuuko-chan's like; she's a naturally curious person," said Yanagi, slowly.

Kagero didn't answer for a moment or two.

"Yanagi, when I walked into our room a while ago, she…was talking to herself…" Yanagi raised her eyebrows, as though to ask what was wrong with that. "She…was muttering something about how she should stop thinking about Kurei and…focus on other things…" She watched as Yanagi's brown eyes widened, and guessed that the girl was just as surprised as she was. "I have nothing against her thinking about Kurei, Yanagi…I mean, he…_is_ my step-son after all…"

There was a short pause in the room. "But…there's something more to this…"

"You mean…" stammered Yanagi, her eyes as wide as saucers. "You think…you think they're having…having a _relationship_?" Kagero shook her head vehemently.

"No, _no_…of course not," she said, quickly. "That's not what I meant at all. I just meant…there's more to it than Fuuko just randomly thinking about Kurei. Either…she knows something that we don't…or…well, there's an endless list of possibilities, aren't there?"

When she thought about it for a moment or two, Yanagi found herself nodding. Yes, there _was_ an endless list of possibilities. Kurei could even be threatening Fuuko, behind the scenes as it were…although; Yanagi doubted if Fuuko would just _let_ herself be threatened like that. But that didn't quite stop the nervous feeling that entered her gut.

_I hope…nothing will go wrong…if something happens to Fuuko-chan, Recca-kun will…_Yanagi paled, _he will not stop until he kills Kurei……_

* * *

"Hey, you! These grounds are off limits. Get out!" yelled the beefy-looking guy, as he put on the most menacing look he could muster. The brown-haired girl raised her eyebrows as she stared at him, wondering whether she should just curse her idiocy in even _trying_ to sneak in, or whether to just…get on with it. 

"Oh," she said, somewhat lamely. "Oh," she repeated, "I'm sorry…I didn't _know_ that…" _Well, I _did_ sound a tad bit apologetic._ "Er…right, so…this place is off-limits, is it?" The beefy man nodded, as he held up the gun he was holding, for her to see.

"No visitors," he said. "_None_." Fuuko sighed, before taking another couple of steps forward. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw two more security guards approaching.

She nodded. "Oh, right…" She looked up and shot the man a supposed-to-be sweet smile. "It's a pity…because I _really_ need to go in there…" A few punches and a well-placed kick later, the man was out. Hearing the other two guards ran towards her, holding their weapons out. She used her Fuujin on them before they could get a decent shot at her.

When she was done, she looked down at the guards who were sprawled on the ground. "Gomen…but I really _do_ need to get into that mansion…" she said. "But then again, if you're Mori's men…well, you deserve worse." _Fuuko-chan, you're talking to unconscious men. Isn't there…something wrong about that fact?_

Shaking her head, she hurried down the path the guards had been…guarding. She was intent on…doing what she had set out to do, and when she was in that kind of mood, well, there was nothing she wouldn't do to achieve what she wanted.

* * *

Neon looked up from the newspaper she was reading when she felt the…different life-force from somewhere nearby. A quick glance around the living-room told her that she was indeed alone. Shaking her head, she turned back to the newspaper, when she thought she heard the sound of running footsteps. Looking around her again, she didn't spot anyone. 

_Brilliant; are you hearing things now, Neon? Oh, that's just marvelous…_

The sudden blur of movement she saw out of the corner of her eyes, however, wasn't a figment of her imagination. _That_ she was sure about. Putting the newspaper down, she moved hurriedly towards the entrance to the living-room, and glanced up and down the corridor when she reached it. She didn't spot anyone. _Okay, what's going on here? There _was_ someone here just a moment ago…I'm sure I didn't imagine it…but…where did he, or she, disappear off to?_

If she had been the same Neon who had been wandering the streets, lost and unemployed, she would've let the matter go…but _this_ Neon was different; she was a well-trained Uruha assassin –one of the famed Jyushinshuu- and she did _not_ let her guard down, even for the briefest of moments.

Frowning, she walked out of the room; intent on finding out if someone was trespassing…or even worse, if someone working for _Mori Koran_ was trespassing in his attempt to spy on the Uruha leader.

_If it _was_ a spy that I saw…I will kill them before they have a chance to even _think_ about Kurei-sama._

* * *

Fuuko only paused in her quick sprint when she was _sure_ that she had put quite a distance between her and the fiery-haired Uruha member. She didn't have anything against Neon –hell no- it was just…well, she knew how protective the lady was, over the Uruha leader…and she certainly didn't want to run into her and have to explain to her what she was doing in the mansion. Nor did she want to be _kicked_ out of said mansion –not until she had done what she came here for. 

Taking a few deep breaths to calm down, Fuuko switched to observing her surroundings. She was in a rather dark-corridor, where all the curtains were drawn shut, not allowing the sunlight to stream in. She vaguely remembered that, the _last_ time she had been in the mansion…it had been just as dark; even though it had been in the middle of the night, the lighting had been rather dim.

_Man, what _is_ it with these people and living in the dark? You'd think they were a bunch of vampires or something. _Just as the thought entered her mind, so did images of the Uruha assassins. A pale-face Raiha, a pale-faced Kurei, a pale-faced Neon. She sweat-dropped. _Nah, they're _not_ vampires. Stop it!_

Turning a bit more serious, Fuuko let her thoughts focus on what she wanted to do…on why she was _in_ the mansion in the first place. There were a few problems; firstly, she didn't how many people were _in_ the mansion –and thus there was a greater chance in her being discovered…and secondly, she had no idea where she was supposed to find him.

_Brilliant, Fuuko-chan…just brilliant. Maybe Recca was right, you know? About running into things without a second thought?_ Just as she said that, she heard voices; voices that sounded as though they were coming from somewhere nearby. Crossing her fingers and hoping that her sense of direction was correct, she headed towards the flight of stairs that was closest to her, and took them two at a time.

She had only _just_ set foot onto the next floor, wondering if she should wander down it and look for him, when she saw someone walking towards her. _Oh crap!_ As quickly and quietly as she could, she ran up the next flight of stairs, wincing as she heard the exclamations from whoever she had been trying to avoid. It soon became evident that whoever it was, wasn't a well-trained member of the Uruha. If he or she _was_, they would have had the sense to follow her up the stairs.

As she ran down the next corridor, she was extremely relieved when she didn't see anyone there. _Calm down, calm down Fuuko-chan…it's not over yet._ She wondered carefully down the corridor, frequently glancing behind her as she did so, hoping against hope that her heart wasn't beating as loudly as she _thought_ it was.

It was as she was doing _this_ that she bumped into something. Her perception was changed when the 'thing' she bumped into let out a startled hiss. Slowly looking up, Fuuko saw a dark-skinned man staring down at her in surprise. That was all that she could see of him, for the rest of his body was covered by a dark-colored cloak.

"…Kirisawa…Fuuko…?" Fuuko gulped.

_Uh-oh. _

* * *

Neon peeked into every nook and cranny she could find, as she continued with her walk around the house. So far, she hadn't spotted any unwelcome presence, but then again, she couldn't be too sure could she? She _did_ have the rest of the house to check too. 

"Neon-sama?" The fiery-haired lady stopped when she heard the nervous voice from behind her. Turning around, she spotted a girl whom she recognized as one of the new assassins in training.

"Hai?"

"…I…well, are there any outsiders who've been given permission to enter the house?" Neon shook her head, a frown immediately forming on her face.

"No," she said quickly. "Why…do you ask?" The blonde wrung her hands nervously.

"Well…I just…I just saw someone going upstairs," she said, stammering under the intense glare the fiery-haired lady was sending her. "I didn't know –I mean, I'm not authorized to…to deal with –" Neon was already gone, taking the steps up as quickly as she could.

* * *

She wasn't sure if the man was still following her –she had run wildly around anyway, succeeding in getting herself lost in the process, but she didn't stop running. As she continued she was overcome by a strange sense of deja-vu. And it was quite natural too, for this was what she had been doing the _last _time she had been in this mansion, although then, she had been running away from Magensha. Today, she didn't know who she was running from, but she was sure that she wouldn't want to find out. 

_Damn, damn, damn! Next time you feel the sudden urge to do something incredibly stupid –like this- _plan it_ properly before just…running ahead and doing it!_

Coming across a set of large, double doors that looked vaguely familiar, the Fuujin-wielder wasted no time in pushing against them. She only managed to get one door open, although she didn't complain about it. Once she was inside whatever room she was in, she pushed against the door once more and managed to get it closed.

With that done, she looked around the room, her heart still hammering in her chest. Seeing _some_ kind of light from the opposite end of the room, she decided to head towards it, after coming to the conclusion that no-one else was in the room. Reaching the curtains, she pulled them open, allowing the warm sunlight to streak into the room. Satisfied with the sufficient light –and the warmth it gave off- she turned around to find out what kind of a room she was in.

The first things she saw were tall bookshelves, telling her that it was the library she was in. Or _a_ library, if there was more than one in the Uruha mansion. It was as she turned to stare at the plush chairs placed in front of her that she was forced to stifle an exclamation of sorts. Why? Oh, it was simple, really.

Seated on one of the chairs was none other than the Uruha leader himself. Except…he wasn't giving her a cold glare as she would have expected. No, he wasn't; he was _sleeping._

_Kurei…sleeping? _Almost as soon as the question entered her head, Fuuko mentally kicked herself. _Duh! He's human too. Geez, there's nothing wrong with him sleeping is there?_

As she continued to stare at him, she couldn't quite stop her features from softening. The Uruha leader was seated in what looked like an uncomfortable position, with his head tilted to a side. As though her body was moving on its own accord, Fuuko found herself crossing the distance between her and the sleeping man, until she was standing beside the chair he was sleeping on.

_He looks…so innocent, _she thought, not really noticing the fact that her heart was thumping even louder than before. _Oh Kurei……_Reaching out with her hand, she impulsively brushed aside some of his black bangs, which were falling unevenly across his face. She released the breath she hadn't realized she had been holding when he didn't move. _Phew. _

Her sharp eyes caught sight of the red mark on his right cheek, and she flushed. _Oh my…is this where I---?_ Feeling the sudden desire to take back what she had done, which, she realized, was quite stupid really, she unconsciously found herself moving her hand to his cheek…reaching out to touch the red mark that stood out against his pale skin.

_What the hell are you doing, Fuuko? What the _HELL_ are you doing?_

She gasped when her hand was suddenly grasped. Looking down, she found herself staring into a pair of deep blue eyes. _A pair of deep blue –oh shit. _

"I – I can explain," she stammered, cursing herself mentally for sounding so…so _affected_. The Uruha leader continued to stare at her, still holding her hand in a tight grip. "I just…came here to – well, I wanted to –"

"-What are you here for? Was there anything else you forgot to tell me yesterday?" questioned Kurei, as coldly as he could –although his voice came out in a hoarse whisper. "Or perhaps you thought another slap would be nice?" Fuuko opened and closed her mouth for a minute, before shutting it quickly.

"N-no," she said, "No –never. I…am not like that –I've already told you this…" Kurei stared at her for a moment, before turning away.

"Then why are you here? Why is it that…you are always plaguing me like this? At least before, it was just my mind…but now –now you're _here_…" he shook his head again. "What do you want from me?"

Fuuko's eyes widened slightly. _I've been plaguing him? His mind?_ "I…I don't _want_ anything from you…" she said. "I…Kurei, I…" she trailed off, not quite certain about what she wanted to say. _Oh, that's smart Fuuko-chan. Why are you _here_ in the first place? To gape at him? I think _not! Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard the man sigh –something which startled her simply because it was not in the man's character to…well, be like this. _Why am I always reduced to being a foolish, gaping, stammering high-school girl in his presence?_

"You have found out what you wanted to know," said Kurei, quietly. "I am sure you have satisfied your curiosity by now…so…will you _please_ leave me alone?" Fuuko miraculously stopped her jaw from dropping to the ground. _'Please'…? Kurei…said 'please'?_

She didn't say anything for a minute or two; what _was_ she supposed to say anyway? _Why did I _come_ here if I wasn't sure of what I was going to say? Why did I -_ She watched absently as the Uruha leader let go of her hand, before brushing his fingers lightly over the red, slap mark on his cheek.

"I…don't –yes, I suppose my curiosity _has_ been satisfied," she said, realizing that he was waiting for an answer. "But…that's not what I want right now, Kurei…" The Uruha leader didn't even bother looking at her. "I…want to…help you." She took a few hurried steps back as the Uruha leader's head snapped up to stare at her. _He's not threatening you…he's not threatening you…don't worry, Fuuko-chan. At least, not yet. _

Kurei stood up slowly, not taking his eyes off the brunette standing before him. _She wants to…do what? I must have…heard it wrong. Yes, I must have heard wrong –that's it. My imagination's just running away with me…_

"No, Kurei, you didn't hear it wrong," said Fuuko, returning his gaze. "I _do_ want to help you." Kurei frowned slightly. _Did I…say that out loud…? Great. What a wonderful way to go…_

Even as he tried to pull himself together, he couldn't help but stare at her. _Why is she doing this? She's…an enemy…she's not someone I should…be associating with. Not unless I plan on using or incapacitating her. _"Why?" he asked, after what seemed like forever. He just couldn't stop himself.

"Why?" repeated Fuuko. Kurei nodded.

"Why are you doing this? Why do you want to…help me…?" He stopped himself from adding '_not that I need your help' _only in the nick of time. He doubted if that would…impress the Fuujin-wielder. _Not that I'm _trying_ to impress her; no way…_

The Uruha leader was, once more, surprised when he caught sight of the splotches of red that crept into the Fuujin-wielder's face. Tilting his head slightly to a side, he continued to observe her. _Why is she blushing?_

Unknown to him, Fuuko was asking herself the same question. _Why, why, oh _why_ in the name of…everything, am I _blushing Realizing that the man was waiting for an answer, she looked up at him again, only to avert her gaze once more.

"Ican'tstopthinkingaboutyou."

"…Excuse me?"

_Heh, I always thought I'd die in a fight of some sort…maybe against the Uruha, or maybe…someone else –I never imagined my death could come through embarrassment!_

"…I can't stop thinking about you."

"E…_Excuse­ _me?" spluttered Kurei.

Fuuko fought the urge to close her eyes and pray for the ground to open up and swallow her. _But then again, I'm not sure that many people can boast of having heard the oh-so-fearless-and-calm-and-collected Uruha leader splutter, _she thought to herself, before she started ranting to explain herself.

"I mean –I _can_ stop thinking about _you_, it's just that…well, I can't stop thinking about you in general. You know…in the sense, about you…as in, well…" She stopped. "I'm…not making any sense, am I?"

Kurei surprised himself when he actually shook his head in reply. Fuuko, however, just nodded. "I thought not," she muttered. "What I _meant_, was that I can't stop thinking about your _life_; about what's been happening to you…and about why you put up with all of this…stuff, when you don't deserve it."

"…I don't deserve it?" _Kurenai, I don't believe I've heard _that_ one from my enemies before._

"No, you don't. No-one does. Except, maybe, people like Mori Kor---" she stopped abruptly when she remembered what he had…menacingly told her the other night, about not mention the man's name in his presence. _Uh-oh…can things get any worse…?_

Even though Kurei's eyes had narrowed at the mention of the name, he didn't pay too much attention to it. He was too busy thinking about how she had said he didn't deserve what was happening to him. _Kurenai…are you there? I…_he paused; _I am a little bit…worried now. This feeling…this familiar feeling that I have in my gut……what is it? It reminds me of…that feeling I used to tell you about…_

…_the one that…makes me feel nice and…warm inside. But, that can't be, can it…?_

As was usual, he didn't get an answer from Kurenai –something which he should have gotten used to, by now at least. After all, how long had it been…?

Fuuko didn't seem to notice her companion's startled silence. "Look, I just came here to…apologize." Kurei was snapped out of his thoughts the moment he heard the word 'apologize'. "I said some pretty harsh things yesterday…things that I said in a fit of rage…" She sighed before looking up at him once more, and Kurei saw the genuine apologetic expression on her face. "See…there's something you don't really know about me; when I get mad, or worked up, I usually say things that I don't mean. As in, I say really _nasty_ things that I don't mean –and it's not just to you or anything…I've said them to _loads_ of people, and one or two of them have actually turned out to be some of my really good friends."

She paused, tugging nervously at the hem of her t-shirt. "I guess…I'm just like Recca in that aspect –just as hot-headed as he is. But…you've got to understand, it's only for a while. Once I've had time to think things over…I realize how stupid I would've been, and I…regret whatever I said…"

The Fuujin-wielder chuckled nervously. "What I'm trying to say is that I thought about what I told you last night, and I realize that it was out of line…and that I was being so cruel with what I said. It's not like you _wanted_ any of this to –sorry, I'm rambling again." He watched as she shot him a nervous smile, before quickly lowering her eyes to her feet. "Anyway, I just want to say…that I really _am_ sorry for saying all of that to you yesterday. I'm not saying this out of pity, I'm just genuinely sorry that I ---"

Fuuko stopped abruptly or rather, she was _forced_ to stop abruptly when she saw movement from before her. Of course, that was seconds before she felt a pair of arms encircle her, pulling her against…

_What---?_

Kurei felt the Fuujin-wielder stiffen, and knew why. A moment later, however, she relaxed into his……embrace? He didn't quite know what it was; all he knew was that he had felt the sudden urge to hold the girl close to him, when she had been mumbling reasons for her behaviour, and why she wanted to apologize.

"I'm really sorry, Kurei…I really am…" said Fuuko softly, as she leaned against his…warm chest, feeling surprisingly comfortable. She felt, more than saw, the Uruha leader nod.

"I know, Fuuko," whispered Kurei, trying not to think too much about what was happening. "I know…"

* * *

Through the door she had silently pushed open just enough for her to see what was going on, the fiery-haired Uruha assassin stared at the scene before her, her blue eyes as wide as saucers. 

"Oi, Neon-han, watcha looking at? Do you want to know something interesting? Kai-han said that he saw Fuuko-han in the mansion…" Neon swallowed once, before she was able to answer the jokester.

"I…know, Joker," she said, hoarsely.

"Eh? You do? Did you bring her---what're you doing Neon-han?" Neon moved away from her position by the door, motioning for Joker to peer in through the gap. Which he did without complaining. He was quiet for a couple of seconds, before pulling back and turning to face her. "…I see…" he said, his voice as cheerful as before. "I see…"

Neon nodded, not finding it in her to say anything else. As though sensing this, the jokester wrapped an arm around her shoulders –from which she didn't even try to move away. "Come on, Neon-han…let's make sure that no-one _else_ saw Fuuko-han entering. And that no-one sees…them…" He steered the fiery-haired lady away from the doors, his jaw set in determination to keep anyone else from finding out about what they had just seen.

Besides, it may not be as…interestingly controversial at it _seemed_.

_I think I need to have a little chat to Kurei-han. Heh, even though it _was_ kinda cute, the two of them staying like that…but still –I should have been told about these developments, ne, Kurei-han? I _am_ very important after all…_

* * *

**A/N**

I know that was long -and I _do_ apologize for it again! But...I hope it was all worth it...there's more Kurei/Fuuko interaction in this, as I promised -and I hope everyone liked it!

I'll see ya'll in two weeks then -with more interaction!

See ya,

Siriusgirl1


	10. It's Not Too Late

**A/N**

I'm baaaaaaack!!! With chapter ten, although I do apologize for the delay! I was just caught up with…well, adjusting! Hope no one minds the delay!

Heh, I'm glad that people liked the previous chapter, or more specifically, Kurei's actions in the chapter. I didn't want the two of them (Kurei and Fuuko) to rush into things –that just wouldn't make sense- so…yeah.

As for the review responses:

**noonespecial :** Are they falling for each other? Hmm...i don't know...but i sure hope they are!! Hehe, i'm glad you thought it was sweet, well, to be more specific, i'm glad you thought Kurei's actions were sweet. Hmm...i don't think anyone else saw them on THAT occasion...but who knows? (heh, we'll just have to see, won't we?) hehe, thanks for the review and i hope you like this chapter too!

**sweet liar : **Hey! Yay, i'm really happy to know that you think this fic is good -i just hope i keep up 'good' work! Oh, and i completely agree with you about the shortage of Kurei/Fuuko fics...but there are more coming up now, than there were before, right? heh, thanks for wishing me luck -I hope things go alright when i start towards the end of this month! Thanks for your review and i hope you like chapter ten too!

**Lei: **Hehe, good to know that you -and most people- liked the Kurei/Fuuko interaction at the end of the previous chapter! Now i'm wishing something like that happened in the actual series...buuuuuut, that's just me! Hmm, i'd say Kurei was rather confused when he embraced her...he wanted to do it, for some reason or the other (which he couldn't quite describe) but he also didn't want to think about it while he embraced her, because it seemed really...odd. Did that make sense? Hehe, I guess this update took a biiiit over two weeks, but...i hope you like this chapter! And thanks for the review!

Now, on with chapter ten!

* * *

**Chapter Ten: It's not too late**

Neon was not in a very good mood, as she stomped out of her room. It was bad enough that she already _had_ a lot to think about…but to have to put up with the _din_ that was being made down the corridor…well, that was just too much.

Reaching her destination, she didn't bother pausing outside the closed room door, choosing to wrench the door open and stomp in, looking very much the perfect authoritative figure. The sight that met her eyes more or less confirmed what she had first thought of, when she _heard_ the din; and this didn't please her at all.

"What do you think you're doing?" she snapped, raising her voice over the cries of the maid. "What the _hell_ do you think you're doing?" The somewhat greasy-haired man paused, before turning around slowly to face her.

"Ah," he said, as a wide grin formed on his face. "Neon."

"No, it's the Grim Reaper," muttered Neon, under her breath, before she glared at him. "Not all of us share your carnal interest in…these matters," she said, nodding vaguely at the maid, who was hurriedly buttoning up her dress with trembling fingers and with tears pouring down her cheeks. "So _stop_ it."

The greasy-haired man raised his eyebrows as he observed the woman. "Why should I? It's what I like doing…so I don't see why anyone should be bothered about it…"

"You wouldn't see _anything_ unless it was dancing naked in front of you," snapped Neon, doing her best to keep her temper in check. "I am a woman too, and I _feel_ for these unsuspecting victims of yours." She directed her attention towards the crying maid, her expression softening somewhat. "You're free to leave," she said, slowly. "And I hope, for your sake, that you never come across this…_thing_ again…" Turning to the greasy-haired man as the maid started to walk towards the door, she sent him a warning look. "Don't even _think_ about trying to stop her."

"You really should learn how to mind your business, Neon…" drawled a familiar voice from somewhere further in the room. Neon's eyes narrowed, as she recognized the voice. "It's not nice to poke your nose into what doesn't concern you…"

"I think it damn well concerns me, Mikoto," said Neon, sharply.

"Can't mind your own business…is that it…?"

"No," said Neon, coolly. "I am just not in the mood to deal with the likes of you…_and_ Mokuren and his antics."

"Poor Neon…" drawled Mikoto again, as she left her seat. "Did something happen?" Neon glared at her.

"I bet you wish something would happen." Mikoto laughed.

"Did Kurei-sama confirm the fact that he couldn't care less about what happens to you, and that he's in _love_ with someone else?" she asked, rather cattily. "I mean, why _would_ he care for you after you failed him like that…?" Mokuren noticed the way Neon stiffened, and forced himself not to take a step back as he sensed the aura that was surrounding the fiery-haired member of the Jyushinshuu.

"Whatever happened to minding your own business, Mikoto?" asked Neon, her voice almost unnaturally calm as she stared straight at the dark-haired Jyushinshuu. "I think _you_ should do that before I do." She turned to Mokuren. "And you better pray that you don't disturb me again with your…antics, or I _will_ kill you." Without sparing the pair another glance, Neon turned on her heel and walked briskly out of the room, gritting her teeth each time she thought of Mikoto.

_She couldn't have seen…? No, she was merely saying that out of spite. She didn't see anything the other day, don't worry. No-one knows, except for me and…Joker._

* * *

Raiha had the usual smile on his face as he walked down the road, humming to himself as he did so. He had taken care of the 'business' that Kurei had asked him to look into the other day, and…was free for the rest of the day. Well, free in the sense he didn't have any other tasks to complete. Yet.

_Hmm…what should I do today? Maybe I'll go and see what the Hokage are up to…_his gentle smile widened slightly, _yes, I think I _will_ go and –_

He came to a stop when he felt the familiar presence only a moment before his eyes fell on the tall figure, seated a fair distance away, with his back resting against a tree trunk. _Ara…? What's he doing…?_ Changing his destination, the Uruha ninja headed towards the strangely-dressed man –of course, this was done _after_ he scanned the surrounding area and concluded that no-one was around. It wouldn't do for anyone to find out that Joker knew prominent Uruha members after all, much less the fact that he _was_ a prominent Uruha member.

"Ano…Joker?" he questioned, smiling as he reached his companion. "What're you doing here?" Much to his surprise, he didn't get a response. The man simply remained quiet, staring before him at nothing in particular. _What-?_ Shaking his head slightly, Raiha lowered himself on to the ground, so that he was seated cross-legged before him. "Joker?"

The strangely-dressed man simply stared before him, not saying anything, which sent alarm bells ringing in the ninja's head. When, _when_ was the jokester of the Uruha so quiet? "…Joker, are…you alright?" he reached out and placed a hand lightly on the other man's. That seemed to get some sort of reaction from the jokester, as he looked up.

"…Ah." Raiha couldn't help but raise his eyebrows. _Ah?_

"Are you alright?" he questioned, staring hard at the jokester.

"Me?"

"Yes."

"Am I alright?"

"…Yes," said Raiha, nodding.

"Oh…" Now Raiha was bordering on being confused. _Why is it that everyone around me is acting strange…? First Kurei-sama and now Joker. _"Hehe, now Raiha-han, I _know_ that you're interested in me and all, but…I _have_ to tell you, my heart only belongs to Neon-han. She would be _devastated _if she found out about these hidden feelings of yours…"

_Then again,_ thought Raiha as he sweat-dropped, _Joker was _always_ acting strange._

"Uh-huh," he said, as he sighed inwardly. "But, really, Joker…is everything alright?" Joker nodded hurriedly, his head bobbing up and down so fast that the ninja was sure his neck would snap.

"Of course, Raiha-han! Why _wouldn't_ everything be alright?" he questioned, looking surprised, before the mischievous expression was back on his face. "Unless…" he leaned towards Raiha. "Is there something _you_ know that _I_ don't know and that you _think_ I _should_ know, and that's why you want to know if everything's alright?"

If it had been anyone else, their minds would be reeling at the jokester's choice of words, but…since it _wasn't_ anyone else, all Raiha did was sweat-drop.

"I think you've got it all wrong, Joker," he said, smiling. "There's nothing…like that."

"Oh," said Joker, pouting and sounding disappointed. "Pity. Things are just _so_ boring –" he stopped in mid-sentence, allowing a rather peculiar expression to flash across his face before disappearing. _Boring? Aa, baka,_ thought the jokester, _things aren't _so_ boring anymore…are they?_

"You don't think that things are boring anymore?" asked Raiha, sounding interested as he sensed the hesitation in the jokester's voice... "And why is that?" Joker blinked hurriedly –although, of course, this wasn't seen thanks to the low hat he wore.

"Um…ano……I…"

"Hai?" asked Raiha, even more interested than he was before. It wasn't everyday that Joker was at a loss for words after all.

"Well, you see, I…uh…" Joker's voice trailed off. "I, erm…ahahahaha, I forgot was I was going to say, Raiha-han!" he said instead, as he scratched the back of his head sheepishly.

"Ano ne…" was all that Raiha had to say. It wasn't that he didn't believe his friend –it was _Joker_ after all, and hence, him forgetting what he had been about to say was something that could be expected from him- but at the same time…it was odd. He had sensed some kind of…hesitation from his friend. Some kind of hesitation that wasn't typical of the man.

_Something's going on here…I just wonder if there's some kind of pattern to all of this strange behaviour…_

"What do you think Mori-han would do to Kurei-han if he fell in love again?" The sudden question snapped the ninja rather abruptly out of his thoughts, causing his head to snap up as he glanced at his friend.

_What?_

"Joker," he started, a slightly different note entering his voice as he spoke. "You know that the subject is more or less a taboo-"

"-I know, but it was a serious question." And to Raiha's surprise, the jokester _did_ look serious.

"I…" Raiha paused. _Why is he asking me this? I don't think he has ever asked me this before…_he frowned, _does he…is there something-?_ _No, no…it's probably nothing…_ "Well, judging from Mori-san's _current_ behaviour," he started, a venomous note in his voice, "I would say that…Kurei-sama would eventually end up being devastated. Again." He snarled as he said the word; it was quite obvious that he didn't approve of the man's actions towards his 'son' one bit.

Joker averted his gaze from the ninja, feeling satisfied at what he had heard. "…But we wouldn't allow that to happen, would we?" The low chuckle he heard from the ninja made him turn his eyes to him once more. The glint in his brown eyes would have caused any normal person to take a couple of steps back, shuddering.

"No," said Raiha, quietly. "We wouldn't. _I_ wouldn't."

Joker nodded distractedly. Of course, that had been what he had expected the ninja to say –although the whole glint in his eyes thing was something unexpected. _That's good, Raiha-han…that's very good, _he paused, _although…I'm not sure if what I saw was an act of _love_…or just…something else…_

Shaking his head lightly, the jokester willed himself to forget the serious thoughts circulating in his head. _Maa, this atmosphere's too serious for me now…time to change topic. Fast._

"Ne, Raiha-han, where were you going before you caught sight of me and just _couldn't_ resist the urge to come and speak to me?" The ninja didn't answer for a moment. Placing his usual cheery smile on his face, he waved a hand merrily in the ninja's face, which caught his attention.

"Eh?"

"Where were you going before you caught sight of me and just couldn't resist the ---"

"-Ano, I _was_ thinking of going and checking up on the Hokage," said Raiha, interrupting the jokester, knowing more or less what the man had been about to say. "But I guess…I'll leave them to their practicing…" He didn't notice the way his friend stiffened slightly when he mentioned the Hokage. "I hope Fuuko-san is training well; Uruha Kurenai is _not_ like the rest of the Uruha teams –no offence meant to the other teams, of course." He smiled suddenly. "But then, it's Fuuko-san; I'm sure she knows what to do…"

"Fuuko-han, huh…?"

"Mm-hmm," said Raiha. "Of course, I hope the rest of the Hokage are training well too." _Even though I am rooting for Kurei-sama…I do hope Fuuko-san isn't too badly hurt. The final battle...Fuujin versus the Raijin cannot take place without the Fuujin wielder. _

"Aa…Fuuko-han…" muttered Joker, under his breath. _Ever the popular one, aren't you, Fuuko-han…?_ He didn't see the quick, questioning glance that the Raijin-wielder sent his way.

* * *

**Meanwhile:**

People walking around the park, or simply relaxing in the area, all found themselves drawn to the odd sounds that were coming from close by. By 'close by', it was actually a somewhat secluded area of the park, sheltered by a grove of trees.

"HAH! YOU'RE NOT WINNING THIS ONE, HANABISHI!!!"

"Yeah? I don't THINK so, Domon!" And all of this was followed by various loud crashes, other loud exclamations and a few explosions.

The people causing the racket were, obviously, team Hokage, during a group training event -one of the only ones that they had had throughout the course of the whole tournament. It had been Kagero who had come up with the idea of the group training session, and although there had been complaints (_'I don't see how training with monkeys will help me get ready for the finals'_, which was followed by; _'Oh yeah? Well WE don't see how training with narcissistic ice-blocks will help US get ready for the finals!'_, and; '_Will the two of you just SHUT UP????_'), the Hokage had more or less gotten used to the concept of the session.

Koganei, who had been seated in one side of the small clearing, quietly observing the mock-battle between Domon and Recca, yelped suddenly as scorching fireballs flew towards him.

"Recca-niichan! Watch where you're aiming Nadare!" he yelled, as he jumped away from the individual fireballs. Taking his eyes off his opponent Domon for a moment, Recca flashed Koganei a rather obscene gesture, with a smirk on his face as he did so.

"Recca-kun!"

"Recca!" Unfortunately for the Hokage leader, Kagero and Yanagi had seen the obscene gesture, and were shooting him disapproving looks. "Honestly," muttered Kagero, under her breath, as Domon took advantage of her son's lapse in concentration to attack him, hoping for a win in the mock-battle. This was, of course, followed by more loud and obscene exclamations.

Yanagi stared at her two friends, a slightly perplexed expression on her face as she did so. _I had a feeling this 'group-training session' would turn out like this,_ she thought to herself, as her eyes fell on the figure of Mikagami, who was leaning against a tree with his arms crossed at his chest. _Mikagami-sempai…maybe he was right; he'd be better off without this training…_

"Yanagi-neechan, maybe we should move back a bit…" suggested Koganei as he pulled the older girl back a few steps when more of Nadare's scorching fireballs came a little too close to them for comfort.

"Hai," said Yanagi, following him. "By the way, shouldn't you be practicing with Mikagami-sempai or something?"

"Eh?" Koganei glanced at her with a surprised expression on his face.

"So far, you've only fought Domon-kun and Recca-kun…don't you think you should try Mikagami-sempai?" asked Yanagi, "Or Fuu---" Her voice trailed off as she remembered the brunette Fuujin-wielder. Beginning to get worried, she glanced around her hurriedly, and was relieved when she saw the seated figure of her brown-haired friend.

The Fuujin-wielder's posture, however, wasn't one that was encouraging or relieving. No, it was…somewhat disheartening. Fighting off the frown that threatened to appear on her face, Yanagi turned her attention back to Koganei, for a quick minute. "I'm…just going to join Fuuko-chan…" she said quickly, before taking hurried steps towards her friend. She felt Kagero's eyes on her for a moment, and paused.

"It's alright; go ahead…" said the older lady, nodding. "Maybe she'll talk to you…" Giving the lady a hopeful smile, Yanagi nodded as she continued making her way toward her –by all appearances- disheartened friend.

"Fuuko-chan…?" As she stared down at the girl, fighting down the worry that threatened to overpower her, Yanagi cleared her throat, somewhat timidly. "Fuuko-chan? _Fuuko-chan_---"

The brunette's head snapped up suddenly, causing Yanagi to stop abruptly. Silence surrounded the two friends for a moment, as neither of them spoke. _Something's wrong, very wrong…_thought Yanagi, worriedly, as she caught sight of her friend's glazed green eyes.

"I…I'd like to be left alone, Yanagi-chan," said the Fuujin-wielder, after a while.

"…But Fuuko---"

"-_Please,_ Yanagi-chan. I have…a lot on my mind right now, and I'd just really like to be alone…" insisted the Fuujin-wielder, her voice oddly quiet. Yanagi stared down at her friend, her eyes wider than they usually were.

_Fuuko-chan…what's going on? You…_she paused in her thoughts, _have never asked me to leave you alone before…So...I guess you must have your reasons…_

"Hai," she said, softly. "But…will you promise me one thing, Fuuko-chan?" The Fuujin-wielder stared at her. "Promise me that you'll talk to _someone_ about what's bothering you, before it gets really bad…?" Fuuko didn't answer. "It doesn't have to be me, or even Kagero-san," continued Yanagi, a note of desperation entering her voice as she spoke. "Just…talk to _someone_. Please, Fuuko-chan?"

"I'll…" _I don't like lying to my friends…but somehow, I don't think they'd understand…_ "I'll think about it…" finished Fuuko, absently. "I can promise you that I'll do _that_, at least…"

Despite the voice in her head that told her she shouldn't just leave it at this, Yanagi found herself nodding. She may not have known the Fuujin-wielder for as long as Recca and Domon did…but she knew her well enough to know that she kept the promises she made. Or at least, that she _tried _to.

"Alright then…" she said, forcing herself to sound perky. "I suppose you won't be joining in the training session, then…?" Fuuko shrugged.

"Not…just yet," she said. "I just don't feel like it…"

"Oh." There was an awkward silence between the two girls, before it was broken by Yanagi. "Well, I'll…just go and talk to Kaoru-kun…" she said, pasting a smile on her face. "…Ja, ne…" She walked briskly away from the usually optimistic and extremely cheerful girl, her thoughts in a muddle. _What happened to you, Fuuko-chan…?_

* * *

She stood where she was, staring absently out of the window, her mind still reeling with what she had seen the other day, while looking for the 'intruder' in the mansion. She felt a somewhat painful tug somewhere in her chest (she supposed it was her heart, if she still _had_ one that is) as images flashed in her head.

The brunette, in the embrace of the darker-haired male…

Kirisawa Fuuko, in the embrace of Kurei.

_Hokage's_ Fuuko…in the embrace of…the _Uruha _leader, Kurei.

Neon shook her head slowly, trying to rid her mind of the images. _It's not that I care about it…I mean, it doesn't affect me in anyway, except making me worry for Kurei-sama…_The tug at her heart seemed to contradict her thoughts, rather painfully too. The fiery haired lady snorted inwardly.

_Fine. Fine,_ she thought to herself, _maybe I _do_ care about what I saw…but there has to be an explanation for everything; there always is. Maybe…it's a plan, of Kurei-sama's; a plan to catch the Hokage off-guard._ Even though she did her best to believe this, the assassin knew that it probably wasn't the case. For one thing, she didn't think Kurei was as…_dirty_ as to stoop down to doing that…and secondly, he wouldn't go _so_ far to incapacitate any of the Hokage; he'd just get one of his assassins to do so.

_In that case…maybe there _is_ something else to it. Maybe Kurei-sama has……fallen in _love_ again…_ The mere thought sent shivers down the assassin's spine. Love…Kurei-sama in _love_? It didn't matter –too much- that if it _was_ the case, he was in love with…the enemy; it didn't matter that it wasn't _her_ he was in love with…

No, what mattered was that he was in _love;_ the same kind of _love_ that had caused him to lose a very important person in his life; the kind of love that had caused him to practically become a killing machine.

_The same kind of love, _she thought, her face turning pale as he did so, _that Mori-sama hates…and _will_ surely punish him for…_

"But," she whispered, to herself, "You don't know for sure if it _is_ love…"

"Eh? Finally decided to analyze your feelings for me, Neon-han?" The fiery-haired woman whirled around in a flash, an expression of pure surprise on her face as she caught sight of the familiar figure leaning against her room door. _What the---I didn't even hear him come in…much less feel his presence…_

"What…are you doing here?" she questioned, using the unfriendly tone she was usually forced to use with him. "And do you know it's impolite to enter a lady's room without knocking?" She shook her head. "What if I had been changing?" Her eyes narrowed as she saw the man grin.

"That…kind of _was_ the point…" said Joker, grinning as the assassin's face turned a dark shade of red.

"Why you---" Neon stopped, unable to come up with anything _adequate_ to say to him. _What's the point anyway? It's not like anything I do or say will _stop_ him. Besides…I have more important things to worry about…like Kurei-sama and –_

"You've been thinking about it, haven't you?" the Jokester's question snapped her out of her thoughts.

"Yes," she said after a while, deciding that there was no point in pretending not to know what he was talking about. "I have." She averted her gaze. "And I'm guessing that you've been doing the same; it'd be strange _not_ to."

Joker chuckled softly. "Aa, you're right about that one, Neon-han…" he said. "So, we've both been thinking about it…" he paused. "What do _you_ think about it?"

Neon shrugged. "I don't know."

"Let's be honest with each other in this instance, shall we, Neon-han?" Neon shot the man a glare.

"I don't see why I should be honest with you," she said, curtly. "No-one knows about _your_ hidden agenda…how do we know if you're on Mori-sama's side?" Joker raised his eyebrows, but, as usual, it wasn't seen through the hat that he wore. He took a few more steps into the room.

"Kurei-han trusts me; Neon-han…isn't that enough for you…?" There was a somewhat foreign note in the jokester's voice, a note that was a cross between…sadness and…something else.

"I suppose that _is_ enough…" muttered Neon, "But Kurei-sama trusted Magensha too…" The jokester's chuckles were somewhat bitter.

"Do you honestly believe that he did?" he questioned. "I thought you knew Kurei-han better than that, Neon-han. He didn't trust Magensha one bit –especially not after what he did to Jisho-han…" He saw his companion tense as he mentioned the deceased assassin. It _had_ been a horrible way to die, and he had never expected the man to go down the way he had.

"Yes…but if only he had realized sooner…" Neon's voice trailed off. "But it's no use speaking of _that_ now; whatever happens, it's not going to bring Jisho back…" _How could you not care about what happened to him, Kurei-sama? He was extremely loyal to you…_

"He's only human, Neon-han; true, he may have superior powers and he may be from the original Hokage…but he's only human," said Joker, reasonably. "You can't expect him to know everything…"

Neon shot the man a somewhat annoyed glance. "Why did you come here? If there's no point to your talking, please leave me alone. I have a lot to think about." _And _that's_ without thinking of a hundred ways to kill Mikoto. _

"Do you hate her?"

"What?"

"Do you hate Fuuko-han? After what you saw?" There was a brief pause, before Neon answered.

"Of course not."

"Is that so?"

"Yes."

"You don't feel the slightest bit of resentment towards her…?"

"…Of course I do; she _is_ the enemy after all…"

"You're not jealous?" Neon turned her face to the side, avoiding the man's piercing gaze.

"Why…should I be?"

"…Because Kurei-han _might_ have fallen in love…and it's with someone who's not you…"

"It was the same with Kurenai-sama…"

"But that was then…you didn't _love_ him as such then…"

"Of course I did," snapped Neon.

"But you were happy for them…_now_, however, you know what's at stake…and besides, you have done _so_ much for Kurei-han; you've trained hard to become an assassin, and, bit by bit, you've raised your standards and have improved so much that you're now a member of the Jyushinshuu…"

"…Yes, I…I _have_ worked hard…" agreed Neon, although her voice was faint.

"And now, after all that hard work, after everything you've endured _for_ Kurei-han…he just goes and falls in love with someone who hates –or hated- his guts, and who is aiming to defeat him, and possibly kill him in the---"

"-Stop it. Just _stop it_," whispered Neon, half-raising her hands to her ears, before stopping. "_Stop_ it…"

"…Did I hit a nerve somewhere, Neon-han?"

"I said-"

"-The truth usually hurts, Neon-han…didn't you know-"

"-Why are you doing this to me?" When the fiery-haired assassin turned her face to him once more, the Joker was not surprised when he saw her shimmering eyes. "Do you really hate me? Is that why you're doing all of this? Fine, I'll admit it; you're right! It hurts…it hurts a _lot_. After everything I've done for him, _everything_, in the end…all he sees me as is just…someone he can use to do his bidding and…and…someone he knows will never betray him…"

Neon paused, feeling the very odd sensation of a tear trickling down her cheek. "And yet…despite everything I've done, striving to be the strongest I can possibly be –for _him_- all I manage to do is to disappoint him; first when I lost to the Hokage…and then when…when I told Recca about Kurenai-sama. I…I had my reasons for that, but…Kurei-sama didn't want any excuses, and I wasn't about to give him any. I…" she furiously brushed at her tears. "I just wanted Recca to know that Kurei-sama was _human_…that he _was_ just like him and his friends, until he was forced to suffer. I only wanted them to see that Kurei-sama was _normal_ at one point in time, and that…he deserves better. I…don't want them to _hate_ him, Joker…I don't……"

As her voice trailed off, the fiery-haired lady lowered her hand, still refusing to look her companion in the eye. She turned around abruptly, so that she was facing the window again, with her back towards him. "And now…now he…" she choked. "I admit, I _am_ a bit jealous, if what we saw _is_ what we think it was…but more than that, more than that, Joker, I'm scared. What will happen to Kurei-sama this time? If it _is_ love, if it is an indication of developing feelings…will it be another repeat of what happened to Kurenai-sama? Will…will Kurei-sama be forced to go through hell and back _again_? I…I just…fear for him……"

She stopped then, unable to go on. What was the point, anyway? It wasn't like anyone would understand what she was feeling, as tears slowly trickled out of her eyes and down her face. _Why…why am I crying like a baby? I…should get a better grip on myself. Uruha assassins…don't cry…they…they're strong, no matter what -!_

A pair of arms wrapping themselves around her from behind snapped her out of her thoughts, causing her to stiffen.

"It's not wrong to cry, Neon-han…"

"………" _Joker…_

"I can't lie and tell you I know how you feel about Kurei-han, but…" _I do know how it feels to love someone and…not have that love returned. Heh, imagine that; I know how unrequited love feels…_There was a small pause. "Kurei-han doesn't know how lucky he is, to have someone like you worrying about him in this manner……"

"But…he doesn't care, does he…?" asked Neon, her voice breaking. The arms around her tightened their grip.

"Neon-han –"

"-I don't care if _he_ cares or not…I just don't want him to suffer anymore, at the hands of Mori-sama…"

"I know," said Joker, quietly. "That's why, when we get to the bottom of this, we're going to do everything we can to…make sure that things turn out well for Kurei-han…" Neon didn't answer, but, judging from the way she was shaking, her tears hadn't stopped. Moving his arms away from her, Joker placed them on her shoulders and slowly but surely turned her around, so that she was facing him.

She kept her head bowed in a last, vague attempt to stop him from seeing her tears –quite forgetting that he had already seen them. Sighing inwardly, the usually loud jokester forced her chin up, so that she had no choice but to look at him. _Che, you don't look too good when you cry. _"Neon-han, we won't let Kurei-han suffer again…we _won't_. And it's not just us, Raiha won't allow it either…" _That much I can guarantee. _He raised his other hand and brushed away a few of the tears that stained her cheeks.

All Neon could do was nod, even as she started to wonder when her tears would stop. Through her tears, she saw the hesitant expression on the jokester's face, before he pulled her towards him, in a comforting hug. "It's alright to want to be comforted once in a way, Neon-han," explained Joker. "It's only human to want that."

As she buried her face in the man's chest, the fiery-haired assassin was surprised to note that the jokester's armor wasn't as…hard as she had thought it would be. Driving the thought out of her mind, she allowed herself to just…be held, as the two assassins stood still for a few moments, until she noticed that her tears had stopped falling.

Awkwardly, she pulled away from the taller man, although she couldn't quite look him in the eye. _I...I never thought…_Neon's thoughts trailed off as she stared at her feet.

_Well now,_ thought Joker, as he scratched the back of his head, _this sure is awkward! What to do…what to do…ah! I know. Joker, you are a genius._

"So, Neon-han," started the Jokester, as he bent down and smoothly picked up the trident-like madougu that he had dropped on the floor in his hasty attempt to comfort his companion. "Now that there's no hope for Kurei-han…how about you and I just get together, admit our feelings and then have some---"

"-I—you…idiot!" spluttered Neon, as the softened expression on her face vanished, being replaced by a glare.

"Huh? Oh _come_ on, I know you know that I know that you love me. It's alright, Neon-han; I mean, I even turned down Raiha-han's affections for you. How-" Joker tilted his head to a side as the pillow went whistling past his ear. "-good am I?" He caught the second pillow with his free hand. "Pillow fight, Neon-han? Is _that_ what you want?"

"You are-the most-insufferable person I have…ever _met_!" exclaimed Neon, as she continued to glare at the strangely-dressed man. _And to think, to _think_ that I _almost_ thought he was a pretty decent person who I wouldn't mind getting along with! Urgh!_

As he saw the disgruntled expression on the fiery-haired woman's face, Joker felt a small smile creep into his own, at the success of his plan at cheering her up (if it could be considered as cheering her up). Seeing her like this felt more…natural than seeing her crying. He was willing to bet that _no-one_, except maybe Miki and Aki had seen the assassin cry…and that wasn't too surprising, considering her strong character. _Aa…I like this side of you better, Neon-han…it's more fun to deal with._

"What're you looking at me like that for?" snapped Neon, looking suspiciously at him.

"Eh? No reason," said Joker, holding his hands in front of him, as though in defense. "Don't worry; even though you have a rather manly personality…and you look masculine…I still love you, Neon-han!" With that, he leaned forward before bonking the assassin lightly on the head with his trident. "Present for you!" The jokester was safely out of the room as she shrieked in outrage at his actions.

Neon stared after him as the angered expression on her face faded. She unconsciously raised a hand to where the jokester had brushed her tears off.

_Joker…he _is_ an idiot, _she thought, as a scowl appeared on her face once more, _but I suppose he's a…_nice_ idiot…_

* * *

**A little while later:**

Fuuko sighed as she leaned back against the tree she had been seated before. A part of her felt guilty at what she had said to Yanagi, earlier during the training session…but it really couldn't be helped. She _did_ want to be left alone, as opposed to talking about what was bothering her. It wasn't like anyone would understand if she told them what was on her mind.

_Recca would probably get a heart-attack…or come to the conclusion that…I was being 'brainwashed' or something, _she thought, _and…Mi-chan and Domon will just be…confused. _She absently twirled a longer strand of her brown hair in her fingers. _Heh, and Kagero-san and Yanagi-chan will be _so_ disappointed in me…_

_Koganei, however…it's weird, but…I think that Koganei would be the only one who'd understand what's been going on…in a weird way, though…_she frowned in frustration, _Aa argh! It doesn't matter; I shouldn't be…thinking about _this_, I should be thinking about the final round –about the round where we'll be deciding Yanagi-chan's future!_

'…_And the round where you might actually see either Recca or Kurei die…'_ her face paled slightly as the thought entered her head. _Die?_ Well, she supposed that she _should_ have thought of that possibility –Recca would go to _any_ length to protect Yanagi, even if it meant giving up his life. Besides, he still had two more fire-dragons to awaken…and he didn't have much time at all.

Then…there was Kurei. The strange feeling in her gut confused the Fuujin-wielder as she thought of the Uruha-leader –the same man who was supposed to be her _mortal enemy._ From everything that she knew of him, well, it was safe to say that the man didn't like losing…and that included the Urabutousatsujin, which his team had won before.

Did he lust after victory so much so that he'd give up his life for it? _No, _thought Fuuko, _he wouldn't put his life on the line for something like that…it's not really something that he'd want to protect, not as much as Recca wants to protect Yanagi-chan. _And she was right, in a way, for Recca fought for a purpose –his 'princess'- whereas Kurei…well, Fuuko didn't know what exactly he fought for.

_Is it for his mother? To keep her safe from the bastard who's imprisoned her? _If that was the case, then yes, Kurei _would_ be willing to put his life on the line during the final round…but how could they be sure? And…more importantly…why was she so worried about the prospect that _Kurei_ could die? She was terrified of losing Recca, because he was her best friend…but who was Kurei to her, for her to…worry about him?

_Dammit, this is just…confusing. If I thought things were bad before, man, they're kinda worse now that I know what's going on! How could-_

"F-U-U-K-OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!" She jumped a foot in the air as her name was yelled out, before managing to calm herself down enough to recognize the voice.

_Domon? Isn't he supposed to be training…? _Her thoughts ended there when she realized that her friend was close by, and that she more or less guessed _why_ he was looking for her; either to declare his love for her (for the millionth time), or to be like Yanagi and Kagero and ask her what was bothering her and to ask her why she hadn't taken part in the training session they had had.

Quite frankly, at that precise moment, she didn't want to be around anyone; she just wanted to be able to think hard about everything that had happened. Particularly about everything that had happened yesterday.

Looking around hurriedly, she didn't spy any proper place to hide, out of the 'gorilla-boy's' sight. _Argh! What am I-…aha, that's it!_ Standing up quickly, she glanced up at the tree she had been leaning against, calculating the distance between her and the nearest branch. It wasn't that big of a gap. A quick, well-timed jump later, the Fuujin-wielder managed to haul herself onto the branch.

"Oh F-U-U-K-OOOOOOO!! HONEY, WHERE ARE YOUUUUUUUUUU??" Sweat-dropping at her friend's question she simultaneously decided that she would have to climb onto a higher branch, just in case. She reached up and, after a bit of scrambling, managed to pull herself onto an overheard branch. Just in time too, as she saw Domon jog towards the spot she had been seated on, before pausing. "Hmm…I could've sworn I saw her here a moment ago…" Domon tilted his head to a side. "It…feels as though Fuuko's been here……" Shrugging, the tall, well-built boy continued jogging, in his search for the Fuujin-wielder.

Once she was sure that she didn't risk being spotted by him, Fuuko let out the breath that she had been holding. _Stupid Domon,_ she thought, _How can it _feel_ as though I've been here? _Even as she thought that, she felt another stab of guilt in her, just as her conscience told her that she had been wrong to hide from her friend.

_Hey, I have my reasons, alright? It's not like I did it for fun or anything…geez! I just don't want to talk to anyone at the moment, that's all. It's not like I'm going to start hating them or anything…_

'_Oh?'_ questioned a smug voice in her head, _'Well, since you can suddenly like the person you _'hate'_, who's to know if you can't suddenly hate the people you _'like'_?'_

Fuuko scowled. _I don't know _what_ you're talking about,_ she thought, even though her mind had already begun to conjure up images of a certain dark-haired, unmasked man for the third time that day –the previous two times being when she had been watching her friend's train.

'_Is that so? So…you still hate Kurei, is that what you're trying to tell me…?'_

_What? No, it's not that, it's just---_

'_-What were yesterday's events about, anyway? All that hugging and stuff…?' _Even as she heard the mental question, Fuuko felt her cheeks turn warm –a sure sign that she was at least on the _verge of_ blushing.

_For no apparent reason_, she told herself, doing her best to scowl but failing. Just as she failed to prevent her mind from bringing up what had happened the other day, when she had…been in the Uruha mansion…

* * *

**Flashback:**

"_I'm really sorry, Kurei…I really am…" she said softly, as she leaned against his…warm chest, feeling surprisingly comfortable. She felt, more than saw, the Uruha leader nod. _

"_I know, Fuuko," whispered Kurei, trying not to think too much about what was happening. "I know…" She didn't know how long they stayed like that; all she knew was that it wasn't as…uncomfortable as she might have _thought_ it would be. Her eyes widened; _hang on…since when did I _ever_ think about…a situation like this?

_A few minutes later, the Uruha leader slowly removed his arms from around her, before pulling away from the…embrace (or was it a…hug?). Fuuko did her best to ignore the sudden chill that she felt once she was out of his embrace. _Silly girl, _she thought,_ how can you think like this? He's…the enemy. _Even though she knew she was right about that, there was…something else…that told her it didn't mean much…but that was wrong, wasn't it? _

"_Kurei, I-"_

"_-I am sor-" They both stopped, caught off guard, before Fuuko shook her head. _

"_No, go ahead, sorry," she said, giving him another nervous smile. Kurei stared at her for a moment, before shaking his head. _

"_Ladies first," he muttered, wondering why he was suddenly feeling uncomfortable. It was a good thing that he wasn't looking at the Fuujin-wielder, or he'd have seen her standing with her jaw practically on the ground. _

Eh? Did…_Fuuko paused in thought, _Kurei just…be polite?

"_Uh, alright," she said quickly, when the Uruha leader glanced at her. "I…" _And what're you going to say, Fuuko-chan? I don't know what the hell just happened, and, frankly, I don't think it was something that was _supposed_ to happen. Even though I…might have liked it, I don't think it should ever happen again, and…_her thoughts trailed off as she groaned inwardly, _Smart, Fuuko-chan…very smart.

"_Yes?" Fuuko found herself scratching her neck, sheepishly. _

"_Ahaha…gomen," she said, after a bit of stuttering. "I…forgot what I was going to say……" Silence engulfed the pair as the Uruha leader just stared at her for a moment…and another moment, before shaking his head. _

"_Are…you always like this…?" he wondered._

"_Eh?"_

"_Are you always like this?" Fuuko frowned questioningly. _

"_Like what?" Kurei shrugged once more._

"_Like this; absent-minded, amusing, and silly…that kind of thing…" There was a silence of about 5 seconds, before the Fuujin-wielder found herself glaring ferociously at him. _

"_Excuse-me?!" She placed her hands on her hips. "Oh, so that's what I am, is it? Amusing, absent-minded and silly?" She scowled. "That's right; ladies and gentlemen, please allow me to introduce to you the first class clown act, by Kirisawa Fuuko!" _

What, _wondered Kurei, _is she on about?

"_I didn't mean-"_

"_-And I suppose I'm uncivilized, uncouth, barbaric, stupid and just pathetic too?" asked Fuuko, sarcastically. _

"_I didn't say-"_

"_-What is _with_ you people and insulting me like that?! Just because I'm a girl and I fight almost as well as any of you do, doesn't mean that-"_

"_-Fuuko." Stopping in mid-tirade, Fuuko stared at the Uruha leader, who was in fact trying not to let his amusement at her ranting show. "Shut up." _

"_Who the hell do you think you are to t-" That explosion was quickly brought to an end when the Uruha leader moved forward and, in a flash, had a hand over the…loud girl's mouth, effectively stopping her from saying anything more. _

"_That's better…" said Kurei, quietly, seemingly unfazed by the strong glare that was sent his way. "Much better." He stared at the Fuujin-wielder, pondering something, quite unaware at how his gaze was causing the girl's insides to squirm. _

Why is he looking at me like that? _Fuuko frowned. _Hmm…he _does_ look much better without that mask on, actually. He looks more human…and…he doesn't look as cruel as he did before…_Her green eyes widened. _What the _hell_-?

"_I…was meaning to ask you something..." started Kurei, slowly, "About what you said, the other day…" _

"…_You fnow fwat I fidn't fean fhalf fof fwhat fi fwm-" she stopped in mid-sentence, sending him a pointed stare, which was returned by a somewhat blank one. _

"…_What?" _

"_Fwould fyou fwpease-" Rolling her eyes, Fuuko tugged at the hand that was clamped over her mouth, continuing to send the man a pointed glare. _

"_Oh, sorry," muttered Kurei, a little embarrassed, as he removed his hand. _

"_About _time_," mumbled Fuuko, shaking her head. "Honestly, I never knew you were that thick." She didn't see the Uruha leader's eyes narrow. "Anyway, what I meant to say…was…Kurei, you know that I didn't mean more than half of what I said that night, right? Like I told you, I mainly said it out of…well, anger and frustration, so I-"_

"_-Yes, I believe you already informed me of that fact not more than five minutes ago, during one of you rambling sessions," cut in Kurei, coolly. _

"_Oh." Fuuko hoped she wasn't flushing. "Oh, yes…well…er, yeah……" _

"_You said…there is more to life than power," said Kurei, not seeming to pay any attention to the girl. "…Is that true?" Fuuko stared at him. "Is it true? And…if so, how…do you know it's true?" The last question was followed by a long, somewhat surprised silence, as the brunette continued to stare at the Uruha leader. _

"_I…are you _serious_?" _

"_Do I look like I am joking?" Fuuko sweat-dropped, before turning serious once more. _

"_Kurei, I…can't answer those questions for you just like that-" she saw the flash of disappointment on the man's face. "-but…I guess I can try?" She didn't quite know why, or how, but…she felt rather…pleased when the Uruha leader turned to stare at her one's more. "You're asking me if I believe it's true, that there _is_ more to life than just having power." She looked him in the eye. "Yes, Kurei, I believe it's true." _

"…_Why?" questioned the dark-haired man, softly. "How can you say that?" _

"_We don't live, we're not _born_ into this world to simply gain power, Kurei," started Fuuko, fighting to keep her surprise out of her voice. _He doesn't even know this…_she thought to herself, _what kind of a life has he been forced to lead? _She knew the answer to the question, of course, but…it still managed to shock her, making her feel for him. _

"_While we live, we do it for the smaller, more immaterial things in life; like…friendship, happiness and…love. Think about it; if all the human beings all over the world were to suddenly be interested in just _one_ thing, power, what do you think the world would turn out to be like? Power would be all they were interested in, with each and every person trying to become more powerful than the next." The brunette shuddered, as though the thought repulsed her. "There would be no trust in the world, whether it's between family members or friends, or even strangers; because everyone will be trying to bring each other down in their attempts to get more power."_

"_Isn't…that what happens now?" Fuuko shook her head hurriedly. _

"_Of course not!" she exclaimed, looking horrified. "Yes, of course, you get the type of people who are corrupt, and who only lust after people; the people for whom nothing else matters, like-" she stopped, uneasily. _People like you, _was what she had been about to say, or even _people like Mori Koran.

"_People like me; I take it that's what you're trying to say?" _

"_No, I…meant people like Mori Koran," said Fuuko, adamantly. _Kurei's not like that…he has a heart and feelings –how would he have fallen in love with Kurenai if that wasn't the case? He wouldn't be doing all of this to prevent his mother's death if…he didn't have a heart or any feelings. _"But yet, if you were to leave those people aside, you'd find a group of people that are much, much better. People who actually care about each other, who look out for each other and help each other during difficult times."_

_Unknown to Fuuko, her green eyes were brighter than they had been before, which startled the Uruha leader, making him…unwilling to take _his_ eyes off her. "These people give greater value to things like love and friendship…and happiness, than to power. For them, making sure someone is happy, making sure they protect their loved ones and making sure that they remain loyal to their friends, are more important that making sure they have more power than anyone else…" _Like the Hokage,_ thought Fuuko, absently, _we're all in this tournament to protect Yanagi-chan, which makes Recca happy…and we always remain loyal to each other…

_She glanced quickly at Kurei, who was staring thoughtfully at her. _And I suppose, _she thought, _it's what Raiha and Neon do, concerning Kurei. _"In other words, yes, I do believe that there is more to life than power. And…I just wish……" Fuuko paused, unsure of whether she should go on or not. _Might as well._ "I just wish that you could have learned that on your own…" _

_There was a look of something akin to wonder in the Uruha leader's eyes as the brunette finished. He shook his head at her closing statement, and when he looked up at her next, there was the smallest, softest of smiles on his face. _

"_So do I…" he said, quietly. Fuuko gritted her teeth and clenched her hands into fists, in a bizarre attempt to stay where she was standing, as opposed to jumping on the dark-haired man and enveloping him in a big hug, telling him that it wasn't too late, he still could learn how true it was and that she'd help him in any way she could. _

This is getting weirder by the minute,_ she thought to herself, _but what's weirder…is the fact that I don't mind these…feelings.

"_It's not too late," she said, after a moment or two of silence. "It's still not too late, Kurei…you can still…experience it…" The Uruha leader shook his head. _

"_It is too late, much too late." _

"_No!" exclaimed Fuuko, taking a few steps forward –quite forgetting that she was already standing close to the man and ending up a _bit_ too close for comfort (who's comfort she didn't know). "You shouldn't think like that; you're only…what, 19? 20?"_

"_20." _Why_, wondered Kurei, absently, _am I telling her all of this?

"_There you go; you have quite a bit of time left ahead of you. Time during which you can still learn how power is nothing compared to the other things that life is all about. It's never too late, Kurei, never…" She shook her head. "It's never too late to do anything, never…" _

_Kurei could only stare at her, watching as she spoke, sounding determined as she did so. He didn't really take in much of what she was saying, except for one thing; _she…thinks there's still some hope for me?

"_I-"_

"_-All you need to do is, well, keep thinking that things will turn for the better, and……" _Fuuko you idiot, _she berated herself,_ how can things turn for the better? Have you forgotten already about the little, insignificant thing called the _finals_ of the Urabutousatsujin?! _"I'm sorry," she said, after a while. "Maybe I was getting a little ahead of myself. I just…well, I _know_ that it's never too late and…well, yeah…" _

_Kurei shook his head, wondering why he felt…relaxed as he listened and…watched the brunette standing before him. There was just something about her…… _

"…_I understand what you're trying to say," he said, softly. "And I –" Fuuko watched, perplexed, as he stopped rather abruptly, narrowing his eyes as he did so. She frowned as she watched him tilt his head to a side. _

"_Hey…what-?" _

"_You should go…" said Kurei, interrupting her, a somewhat fearful expression flashing across his face before disappearing._

"_I-what? Why should I-"_

"_-_Trust_ me, it's for your own…good," said Kurei, shaking his head once more. "You might get caught before you…manage to get out of the mansion. And _this_ time, you can't lie and say you weren't intruding…" _

"_For the love of- I wasn't intruding or trespassing the other time! I still don't know how I ended up here!" protested Fuuko, once she realized what the dark-haired leader was talking about. _

_Kurei nodded. "I know that," he mumbled, causing Fuuko to narrow her eyes. _

"_What's that supposed to mean?" _

"_Nothing that you need to know," retorted Kurei, glancing at the door once more, before turning back to the girl. "Come, let's go…you wouldn't be able to protect yourself against Mokuren –you certainly couldn't do that the _last_ time you were here…" _

"_Why you---"_

"_-And…Fuuko?" the brunette stared as the dark-haired man turned towards her once more. "Thank you." The smile, small though it was, had been _genuine_; a genuine smile (well...it was more of a 'his lips curved upward' thing if she _really_ wanted to analyze it)…on the Uruha leader's face –well, that was something that you didn't see everyday. Fuuko froze on the spot as she stared at the man's face, absently noting how he seemed much younger…how he seemed less up-tight and more pleasant…_

_...how she had this queer sensation in her stomach as she stared at the smiling face. _

K…Kurei……

"_Come on, I don't have all day," mumbled the Uruha leader, as the smile was replaced by his usual impassive facial expression. _Something is wrong with me; very wrong, _he thought to himself, _and I need to do something about it before it…gets out of hand.

**End of flashback**

* * *

Fuuko let out a long, heavy sigh as the brief flashback ended. It was that…conversation that had been bugging her all day, especially during the group-training session that the Hokage was supposed to have.

It wasn't that she didn't consider herself a member of the Hokage anymore, or that she had no concern for Yanagi's safety; she just…didn't think she fought for the same reasons she _used_ to fight for. Namely, she didn't fight out of hatred towards the Uruha leader, who was causing them all these problems; in a way, a _strange, far-fetched_ way, she was…fighting to _help_ him out.

"Aargh…this is all so _messed up_," she groaned, aloud, quite forgetting where she was. "Why, _why_ did things have to get so complicated? Why couldn't I have been allowed to continue hating Kurei –like I did before- instead of wanting to do something, _anything_ to help him out?" She removed one hand from her safety hold on the branch she was seated on. _Dammit, getting a biiiiiiiiiiig headache too._

"Is that really how you feel now?" Fuuko, for all the grace she prided herself in having (cat-like grace) nearly tumbled off the tree-branch in her surprise. She managed to grab the branch just in the nick of time, although she bruised her hands as she clung tightly onto the tree limb.

Breathing heavily, she glared down from her perch, only to have her eyes widen quickly. _No, no, no…of all people…why, _why_ did it have to be him…? _

The dark-haired man stared up at the brunette, smirking freely at her behaviour as, this time, he had his mask on. "Cat got your tongue, Kirisawa Fuuko…?"

Fuuko scowled. "Why is it that you always turn up when I'm trying to _think_?" she questioned, as she shimmied down the tree branch towards the main trunk. "Geez, if I didn't know any better, I'd say you're stalking me or something!"

"Me, stalking _you_?" questioned the dark-haired man. "Excuse-me…but who was it who was caught trespassing in _my_ house?"

"I had my reasons!" exclaimed Fuuko, wondering if she should just jump of the branch she was seated on, or if she should just come down the more sensible way.

"I am sure you did," said Kurei, "But trespassing is trespassing, no matter what the intention was…"

"Oh will you shut up?" questioned Fuuko, frowning.

"Excuse-me but-"

"-It's just difficult to argue with you when I'm thinking, okay?" The masked man raised his eyebrows, although it couldn't be seen behind his mask. Not for the first time, he wondered about the Fuujin-wielder of the Hokage. _She…_is_ one of a kind, in a different way, of course, _he thought, silencing his inner voice before it had time to say anything. _I can't imagine any of the Uruha climbing _a tree_ to _think_…_

_Why am I here in the first place? It's the Fuujin-wielder, _Hokage's_ Fuujin-wielder…why should I care about her, why should I even think about her? I-_

He was brought out of his thoughts when he heard the somewhat muffled yelp. Glancing sideways, he saw that it came from the Fuujin-wielder, as she lost her footing on the trunk she was trying to slowly climb down. Without really thinking about what he was doing, he moved forward with his arms outstretched, and just managed to catch the descending girl by the waist.

Fuuko cracked open an eye as she felt herself come to a stop, only a second before she felt the firm grip at her waist. Looking down, her green eyes widened as she caught sight of the red-sleeves that covered the hands at her waist. _…Eh…?_

Kurei nudged the brunette slightly, indicating that she should let go of her hold on the tree-trunk. As the Fuujin-wielder did so, he tightened his grip around her waist before helping her down, until her feet actually touched the ground. _Why…did I do that?_ He wondered, as the girl turned around to face him.

"Uh…thanks…" said Fuuko, not quite sure what she was supposed to stay.

"…If you injured yourself _now_, you wouldn't make it to the final round…" said Kurei, tonelessly. "Which would make it one less person for Uruha Kurenai to torture…" _You keep telling yourself that, fool_, said an amused voice in his head.

Fuuko sweat-dropped. "Ano ne," she mumbled, "that's not nice you know…" Kurei glanced at her.

"Am I _supposed_ to be nice…?"

"That's not the point!"

"…I see…"

"I actually thought that you _might _have been worried that I would fall, but I guess not!" The moment she said it, Fuuko's green eyes widened. _What the-? What did I just…say?_ She knew she was blushing yet again, if that was what the warmth in her cheeks was trying to tell her.

"…Worried about…you?" echoed Kurei, staring at her as they lapsed into silence. _Yes, 'worried', _said the same, amused voice in his head, _this is getting interesting…and what's best is, you can't really deny it..._

* * *

Yanagi found it difficult to force herself to turn away from the scene in the distance. It was a tad bit difficult for her mind to digest what was going on –or rather, what she had seen.

Kagero, standing beside her, found herself in the same predicament. Her face turned an extraordinarily shade of white when she saw the dark-haired masked-man reach up and steady the brunette as she attempted to climb down the tree. His actions had seemed perfectly natural –as though he hadn't thought about it or anything of the sort...as though he had been helping a...friend of some sort...

_Why would helping…Fuuko be a 'natural' act for him? _Kagero frowned as she further watched the two of them stand, facing each other. _When did they get to be on such…good terms? Kurei…and Fuuko…? _

Yanagi reached out to lay a hand on Kagero's arm, a worried expression on her face. _What's…going on? _It was Koganei, who had been behind the two women, but who had moved away when they stopped abruptly, who broke the stunned silence.

"…That's…strange…" he mumbled, as he stared at the two. _Could…Kurei be using Fuuko-neechan? Or is it…something else entirely?_

* * *

**A/N**

That's it for now! Hehe, there was more Kurei/Fuuko interaction in this, which i hope everyone likes! Ohhh...i wonder what Kagero and Yanagi will do about all of this -especially Kagero, who had a few suspicions before...

That's...about it for now. See ya in the next chapter!

Siriusgirl1


	11. Late Night Events

**A/N**

Hehe, i'm sorry for the loooooong delay once again! Just got caught up with...stuff. :-( anyway, here's chapter 11!

**loujane14: **hmm...i don't know if they'll get all lovey-dovey in this chapter...but it will come one day! hehe. There's more interaction in this, though. (btw, Kurei was just walking around, heading back to the Uruha mansion, when he caught sight of her...). Thanks for the review, and I hope you like this chapter two!

**aite: **hehehe, you have more! Hope you like this too!!

**sweet liar: **Firstly, i'm sorry about the delay!!!! Really!!!! Hehehe, i know the feeling, about being impatient sometimes. When i'm typing it all out, I sometimes think to myself 'geez, just hurry up and get it over with already, Kurei...' but...well, that can't be done, can it? Hehe. Thanks for the review and I hope you enjoy this chapter too!

* * *

**Chapter Eleven: Late Night Events**

"…What?"

"I…meant what I said…" The dark-haired man stared at her, not entirely sure if he had heard her right.

"Stop being silly," he said, coldly.

"What? I-" the brunette stopped. "I'm not being silly or anything; it's true."

"If you're messing around with-"

"-I'm _not_!" exclaimed the brunette, fiercely. "Do you really think I'd lie about something like this?" The dark-haired masked-man watched as she bowed her head. "I just don't feel like…fighting you any longer…" When she looked up at him again, her green eyes showed her confusion…and something else that he couldn't place his finger on. "It's wrong, I _know_ it is; after all, it's because of _you_ that our lives have practically been made a living hell…" She paused. "But I don't feel like fighting you…and I don't know why."

"It's because you're being unfathomably stupid," said the dark-haired man, coolly. The brunette stared at him for a moment, before letting out a soft chuckle.

"Yes," she said, "Maybe that's why…" Silence surrounded the two for a few moments. "Or maybe it's because I want to help you…" _That_ caught the dark-haired man's attention, causing him to stare at her.

"_Help_ me?" His companion nodded. "I don't need _any_ help, much less _yours_, Kirisawa Fuuko," he hissed, his voice reverting back to the cold, unemotional tone that he hadn't used on her for…a while now.

Fuuko's green eyes widened slightly at his words. "I didn't mean-"

"-At the end of the day, _this_ it what it all comes down to, isn't it? It's all about pity…" the dark-haired man glared at her. "I don't need your _help_ or your _pity_, so save it and give it someone who _does_."

"You arrogant _jerk_!" exclaimed Fuuko, clenching her hands into fists. "I thought we were _beyond_ this whole…thing about pity. I _don't_ pity you, for crying out loud. Why do you always think that if someone tries to help you it's because they pity you?"

"Because that's how it usually is."

"Are you out of your mind?! You don't help people because you pity them, hell no! There are other reasons for helping people." Fuuko paused. "When you helped me down from that tree a while ago, did _you_ do it because you _pitied_ me? Did you, Kurei?"

"Yes," said the Uruha leader after a while. "I did it because I pitied your stupidity." As the girl standing before him bristled, the masked-man was surprised to find that he wasn't…as satisfied as he usually would have been, with the knowledge that he was riling up the enemy. _This 'realization', _he thought to himself,_ is completely irrelevant._

Fuuko took a minute or two to answer the masked man as she was busy trying to calm herself down. _Don't, Fuuko-chan…he just wants you to get all riled up…don't…don't give in like that…_

"Better to be stupid than to be 'intelligent' and lead a life where everyone I love slowly leaves me," she said, frostily, before mentally cursing herself. _Oh you insensitive……cow,_ she berated herself, _how could you say that? He's going to kill me for _sure_ now…_

But yet again, the man chose to surprise her by nodding.

"Yes," he said quietly, "that _is_ true…" Fuuko felt a pang of guilt in her chest as she watched him, even though a voice in her head reminded her that _he_ had started it in the first place.

"I'm sorry," she said, after a while. "What I said was…wrong…"

"Do you have to apologize for speaking your mind?"

"I-well, no, but-"

"-Then don't."

"…Don't what?"

"Apologize."

"Kurei," said Fuuko, sighing inwardly. "Look, I don't know _why_, but…whenever I talk to you, I end up saying things that I _don't_ mean to say, instead of what I…want to say –and it's annoying, but…it happens." She shook her head. "When I said I want to help you, it's…not because I pity you, as you believe, it's-"

"-I don't want to talk about-"

"-because I think you…deserve better." The Uruha leader's head snapped up. Fuuko nodded, guessing that it was because he disbelieved what she had said. It wasn't like she could _see_ his face anyway. "You _do_ deserve better. It's really unfortunate that you had to…end up in the situation you ended up in, but I guess you can't change the past now. But I believe that you deserve better…which is why I want to help you…but at the same time, I…feel bad about not wanting to fight you anymore because -"

"Because I _am_ the enemy." Fuuko nodded slowly.

"…Yes." She sighed, blowing a few of her brown bangs out of her eyes. "It's just…so confusing, you know? Yanagi-chan's _life_ depends on…this final round –and with it, Recca's sanity- and then…Koganei, Mi-chan and Domon's safety……but all I can come up with is that I don't want to fight you…" There was a short pause. "It's weird."

Kurei found himself nodding unconsciously. "…It _is_ odd."

"I know; but…no matter what I do, I just can't get rid of that feeling. Heck, I even tried telling myself that you were the devil re-incarnated…but it still didn't change that…feeling…" _Kami-sama, I sound _so_ stupid…_

There was one thing on Kurei's mind –a question that had bothered him for a little while now, from the day the Fuujin-wielder had snuck into the Uruha mansion to…see him.

"Are you attracted to me?" _What the-?_ The Uruha leader's eyes widened in…horror? Embarrassment? Surprise? He really wasn't sure _what_ he felt at the moment, although from the looks of things, the Fuujin-wielder looked shocked.

_Nice one, genius. The question isn't if _she's_ attracted to you; it's if _you're _attracted to _her

"E-Ex_cuse_ me?" she spluttered, her green eyes wide.

"I…" Kurei paused, even more surprised to find that his voice sounded rather…nervous to his ears. _Since when have _I_ been 'nervous'? _"That was…I mean, I don't think I –"

"-Was I…being incredibly stupid and hearing things or…did you just ask me if I was attracted to you?" asked Fuuko, wondering at the little skips her heart seemed to be doing.

"No, I…yes, I did…" said Kurei. Silence surrounded the pair for a while, as Kurei waited for the brunette to start laughing and tell him that he was good at making jokes…or something of the sort. It was only natural, after all.

'_Then why are you oh-so-intently watching her face, waiting for an answer?'_ questioned the all too familiar, annoying voice in his head, causing him to scowl into his mask.

_I am not_, he thought stubbornly, _don't be stupid._

"…I-"

"-Fuuko, there you are! Bloody hell, you had me wondering---" Her green eyes widening a bit more, Fuuko whirled around only to see two people she dearly loved but didn't want to see at that moment in time.

"…Recca…Yanagi-chan…"

"What the hell is going on?" asked Recca, not looking very happy at all. He held his right arm out, and it was clear that the limb was shaking, although it wasn't in fear…oh no, not fear.

"Recca, there's-"

"-Why are you with…_him_?" the venomous note in his voice as he referred to the Uruha leader was clearly heard by the three people standing with him.

Kurei didn't answer, choosing merely to stare at the…_thing_ that was his little-brother. Besides, the question had been addressed to the Fuujin-wielder, and not to him.

"It's not-"

"-Is _this_ the reason you've been acting all weird recently? Why you've been so…distant and…brooding?" asked Recca, not caring that he had interrupted his friend for the fourth time now. "Didn't I tell you to stay away from him, Fuuko? Didn't I tell you that he was dangerous?"

Fuuko shook her head as she took a step towards her best-friend, not noticing the worried look on Yanagi's face as she watched them. "Recca, it's not-"

"-He's trying to mess up your mind, Fuuko! Heck, he's trying to make sure that we're one fighter short for the final round. How many times do I have to tell you that?!"

Gritting her teeth, Fuuko paused for a few seconds before speaking. "Recca, he hasn't done anything of the-"

"-I though you'd realize _that_ after he kidnapped you!"

"He did _not_ kidnap me," snapped Fuuko, before Kurei could say anything. "Honestly, why'd he want to do that?"

"So we would be one fighter short," retorted Recca.

"Well why pick me then? Why not 'kidnap' someone like Mi-chan? Or Koganei?"

"Because they wouldn't be stupid enough to _believe_ him!" Fuuko's eyes narrowed, just as Yanagi took a somewhat timid step forward.

"Recca-kun, I don't think that was very nice…" she said, quietly. "Please, you're making a-"

"So I'm _stupid_, am I?" Fuuko chuckled, although there was no humor in her voice. "You two brothers are certainly alike –or rather, you seem to think alike when it comes to me."

"What has he done to you, Fuuko? Has he touched or hurt you in anyway?" asked Recca, sounding almost fearful as he looked over his best-friend.

"No, he has _not_ hurt me," said Fuuko, exasperatedly. "Do you think I'm…idiotic enough to let someone hurt me without doing anything? Have a little faith in me, Recca."

"What part of he _tried to kidnap_ you don't you understand?" yelled Recca, getting worked up fast. "He's evil Fuuko, _evil_! And he's trying to ruin hime's life! Don't you care about that one bit?"

"Yanagi-chan's my friend too, so of _course_ I care about that! But he's not trying to _ruin_ her life!" yelled Fuuko, quite forgetting that the masked man was standing behind her. "What makes you think he's doing all of this because he wants to? Huh? Haven't you ever considered the possibility that he has no other choice?"

"Why are you defending him?!" Recca looked as though he was ready to explode. "How many people has he killed? Did you _see_ what he did to Magensha?"

"Yeah, so he's killed a lot of people –that _is_ what assassins tend to do. And shouldn't you be glad that he killed Magensha? Didn't that freak try and kidnap Yanagi-chan before the final round anyway?"

"That's not the point –Magensha was one of his Uruha minions…and he just…disposed of him so easily…"

"Recca-"

"-I have to ask, _Recca_, what exactly is your _point_?" All eyes shifted from Fuuko and landed on Kurei, who did not seem the slightest bit bothered by the sudden shift in attention, as he spoke up.

The Hokage leader stared at the older man, his eyes blazing. "Ex_cuse_ me?" he questioned, his voice thick.

"I asked you what exactly your point was," repeated Kurei, as aloof as usual. He ignored the half-warning look the Fuujin-wielder sent his way.

Yanagi reached out, placing her hand on Recca's arm. "Recca-kun, onegai, let's just-"

"-My _point_, Kurei, is that we're not going to let you get away with whatever you've been planning. We _are_ going to defeat you in the finals, and you're _not_ going to do…whatever you planned to do to Fuuko," hissed Recca, interrupting the Healer.

"Is that so…" mused Kurei, as he tilted his head ever so slightly. "What makes you so sure that I haven't _already_ done what I had planned to do? To Fuuko?"

Fuuko, who had turned to speak to Recca, turned quickly to the masked man, her eyebrows raised as she did so. _What the-?_ _The idiot…he's getting Recca all…_it was then that it dawned on her. _He's purposely riling Recca up…that idiot…_

"…What?"

"Recca-kun-"

"-Recca, look, he's just-"

"-you're not laying your filthy paws on hime _or_ on Fuuko, you jerk!" yelled Recca, flinging his right arm forward, his intention clear. Kurei simply stood where he was, not seeming to care much about his half-brother's behaviour. He didn't appear bothered by it at all.

"Recca, don't be stupid," said Fuuko, stepping sideways so that she was sort of standing in front of Kurei. It wasn't that she wanted to prevent _him_ from getting hurt…she just didn't want Recca to do anything stupid. _Yeah, you keep telling yourself that, Fuuko-chan_. "Look, I'm telling you again, it's just a big-"

"_-Nadare!_"

"Recca-kun!" Fuuko stood where she was, refusing to budge. It wasn't that she was terrified of the fire dragon, she just hadn't expected Recca to actually _attack_ Kurei. Especially when she was standing in between them.

_I'm trying to stop you from doing something silly before the finals, Recca…why won't you understand?_

Raising her own right-arm, Fuuko allowed herself to feel the familiar weight of the Fuujin on it for a moment, before throwing it out before her. _Baka, _she thought. "_Fuujin; Kamai-_" Small bursts of a purplish-white flame flew past the Fuujin-fielder and struck the incoming fireballs summoned by Recca.

When the two different flames struck each other, it was only a matter of seconds before the explosions started, causing everyone present to shield their eyes. The moment the first explosion went off, Fuuko felt a hand land on her arm, and felt herself being pulled backward. Removing a hand from where it had been shielding her eyes, she turned around and saw that it was the Uruha leader.

"Kurei, what-" The masked man just shook his head, pulling her backward a bit more before eventually letting go of her arm and focusing his attention ahead of him, as the explosions died out. When the smoke cleared, it revealed Recca with his arms around Yanagi, shielding her from the previous explosions.

"Why you-" growled Recca, as he caught sight of the Uruha leader once more. Kurei, however, paid him no heed.

"So _this_ is what you are _really_ like…" he said, his voice low. "You'd go to the extent of attacking your own _friend_, just to hurt the enemy?" Recca stared at him.

"What?"

"You say that _I_ am the bad man, when I kill the _traitors_ in the Uruha…but you, _you_, Recca, almost attacked your own teammate…your _friend_…" continued Kurei.

It dawned on Recca what he was talking about.

"I didn't attack Fuuko!" he snapped. "I attacked _you_. Fuuko would have moved out of the way in a couple of seconds, and I knew that." Kurei raised his eyebrows, although it couldn't be seen through the mask he was wearing.

"Oh?" He glanced in the Fuujin-wielder's direction. "Were you?" The brunette sent him a questioning glance. "Were you going to move out of the way?"

"She was, okay! Stop trying to change the subject Kurei!"

"Were you, Fuuko?"

"_Kurei…"_ Fuuko glanced from her best-friend to the man she……was starting to _understand_, before eventually sighing.

"No, I wasn't," she said. Kurei shot Recca a cool glance. "But I _really_ don't see how that fits in to what was going on-"

"-You're no better than _I_ am, Recca…just admit it."

"I'm not like you! And I'd never hit Fuuko with Nadare like that!"

"Then what happened the other day, while you were training?" Kurei cursed himself for letting slip that _little_ question, the moment it left his mouth. _Nice work, idiot…_

Recca looked confused for a moment. "Training? What training...?" Yanagi, however, knew what he was talking about; she remembered the mock-battle that Recca and Fuuko had had, the one where Fuuko had _almost_ won.

_Demo,_ she thought, _how does he know about that training session? Unless..._her eyes widened, _was he...spying on us?_

Fuuko turned her full attention to the Uruha leader, her green eyes narrowed as she stared at him. Like Yanagi, she knew what the man had been talking about, although Recca didn't seem to.

"How do you know about that?" she asked him, slowly. Kurei stared at her. _Yes, Kurei, how _do_ you know that? Should you mention the fact that you were _spying_ on them?_ When the Uruha leader didn't answer her, Fuuko's eyes narrowed some more. "How could you know about that unless...you've been spying on us?" she questioned. "Which, by the way, is an absolute low down thing to do..."

Yanagi stared at Fuuko, wondering if it really had been a note of _disappointment_ she had heard in her friend's voice. _That can't be...why would Fuuko-chan be disappointed to know that Kurei was spying on us...?_

"...You mentioned it," said Kurei, after a short internal debate, consisting of weather he should tell her the truth or not. "The day you were in the mansion." _That _is_ true. Partly._

"...Did I?" wondered Fuuko. Kurei shrugged.

"You mentioned Nadare's fireballs hitting you..." His voice took on an amused tone. "It is certainly not _my_ fault that you have such short memory, Fuuko." _What you don't know won't hurt you, I suppose..._

"Hahaha," said Fuuko, dryly. "You know, you shouldn't hang out with Mi-chan. Ever. Geez, the two of you would probably form a 'Fuuko is a dumb, careless monkey' club or something..."

"The fact that you _are_ a dumb, careless monkey is painfully obvious already..." said Kurei.

"...I," said Fuuko, as a stretched grin found itself on her face. "Am going to kill you. I'm _really_ going to kill you."

Kurei raised his eyebrows at the girl, although the act couldn't be seen.

"Whatever happened to not feeling like fighting me?" Fuuko glared at him.

"Shut _up_," she muttered, well aware of how Recca would take it if he heard the Uruha leader. For some reason or the other, Kurei _did_ do as she said. Much to both her _and_ his surprise.

After a while, Kurei turned his back to the Hokage trio.

"Where the hell do you think you're going?" asked Recca, somewhat warily. Kurei paused.

"I do not think it concerns you," he said. "I suppose that we will see each other again, tomorrow afternoon..."

Fuuko and Recca both nodded.

"Yeah," said Recca. "And we're going to beat you up so bad that-"

"-Don't make promises you can't keep," interrupted Kurei, before walking away. Fuuko stared after him for a moment, her brows furrowed as she did so.

_Am I attracted to you, Kurei?_ she wondered, recalling the Uruha leader's earlier question. _I honestly don't know, although...I _am_ attracted to the thought of _helping_ you against that stupid Mori Koran..._

"Dammit, who does he think he is to be so confident?" growled Recca, clenching his hands into fists. "Just because he's the Uruha leader doesn't mean that he can easily defeat us! We've all gotten way stronger than we were before!" He turned on Fuuko. "And you, _baka_, what're you doing---"

Yanagi tuned out the argument that ensued, between the two best-friends. She had something more important to ponder on.

Like the fact that when Kurei and Fuuko had been conversing a minute or two ago, how...comfortable the two had seemed, with each other.

Yanagi glanced at Fuuko and sweat-dropped when she saw Recca pulling her cheeks as she tugged on his hair. _Are you...starting to _like_ him, Fuuko-chan...?_

* * *

**Later that night:**

"Not-" the boy ducked underneath the kick that was aimed at his torso, "-bad, neechan," he finished, as he jumped back to get a small breather.

The brunette standing before him, also breathing hard, just grinned.

"Of course it's not bad," she said. "Demo, how long do you think you can avoid getting hit, Koganei?" The boy just returned her grin.

"For as long as it takes," he said. "Because I might be just a tad bit stronger than you, Fuuko-neechan." A vein ticked on the Fuujin-wielder's head.

"Heh, really?" she mused, before speeding forward. "You over-confident little twerp!" And so the punching, ducking and kicking started again, as the two Hokage fighters continued with their training session. It was a rather _late_ training session, but...at least it was something. And it helped them take their minds off what that old man had told them, regarding their madougu.

"Is that all you can do, neechan?" goaded Koganei, as he blocked a punch before spinning around and attempting a punch of his own. Fuuko blocked his punch in return.

"Over-confidence will get you nowhere, _gaki_," she retorted, before using all of her strength to push the boy away from her. "And if I had my _Fuujin_ with me, you'd be...shreds by now."

Koganei stuck his tongue out at her. "And if I had the _Kougan Anki_ with me, so would _you_," he said. The training session was a purely physical one, in which the two fighters didn't use their madougu. Heck, they hadn't even _brought_ their madougu down with them, which was quite a stupid thing to do, really.

But then again, who would think of attacking _them_?

A quarter of an hour later, the two stood facing each other, panting.

"This," gasped Fuuko, "Is getting us nowhere..." Koganei nodded in agreement. "Aaahhh...what I'd do for a cool drink right now..."

"Cool drink? I'd rather finish this and go have a nice long nap," he said, causing Fuuko to grin.

"Aww," she said. "Little Koganei's _sleepy_?" Koganei scowled at her.

"Neechan!" he protested, causing the girl to laugh.

"Anyway, I'm really thirsty...I think i'm going to go and get myself a drink," she said. "We'll continue this after that, okay?" Koganei nodded.

"I'll come with you," he started, when Fuuko shook her head.

"Iie," she said. "It'll just take a maximum of five minutes. I saw one of those water-filter things on the way here." She flashed him a peace sign. "I'll be right back!"

As she jogged off, Koganei released a long sigh. He wanted to ask Fuuko about what was going on with Kurei, but didn't want to bring it up in case it spoilt the atmosphere.

_Aaah, maybe I'll just sit down until she gets back..._he thought, before plopping himself down on the ground.

* * *

After drinking to her heart's content, Fuuko splashed some of the cold water on her face, sighing in relief as she did so. Fun though the training session with Koganei was, it was also quite tiring. That boy certainly knew how to engage in physical matches -partly thanks to Domon's training, she supposed.

If there was one disadvantage that he had, it was that he wasn't perfect in the strength department. _No duh, Fuuko-chan,_ she thought, _he's just 13!_

Brushing her now damp bangs out of her eyes, the brunette turned her back to the fountain, and started heading back towards the park.

Humming softly to herself (as she had forbidden herself from thinking about what she had been thinking about the past couple of days), she walked slowly down the road, relishing in the quiet that surrounded her.

That was until she suddenly came across a procession of tall, rather heavily-built men in dark-suits. Her eyes narrowed as she watched them from the other end of the road, heading her way.

Well, they weren't really heading towards _her_, just in that general direction.

Everything about the men screamed '_suspicious!'_ in the brunette's mind, but she thought it best to just ignore them and continue walking. She had finally learnt to suppress her curiosity. Or so she hoped. Continuing to hum to herself, she resumed her walk.

As she got nearer to the group, she saw from their formation, that they were...shielding someone or something in the middle of their little group.

Passing the group, with her eyes fixed ahead of her, the brunette released a sigh of relief. Whoever those men were, she was glad that nothing had happened with them. She didn't really fancy taking on, what, 20 odd men without her Fuujin.

"Stop." Hearing the command from a vaguely familiar voice, the brunette found herself stopping, despite the voice in her head that screamed for her to run. She turned around slowly.

"Excuse-me?" she querried, staring at the men who had also stopped and turned towards her. It was at that precise moment that Fuuko realized where she had seen the men before; they were bodyguards. Mori Koran's bodyguards.

Which most probably meant that...the man himself was amongst them...

Sure enough, a figure pushed forward, until he was standing at the front of the group. It didn't take the Fuujin-wielder long to recognize the dark-haired, ugly man in the expensive business-suit.

"If it isn't Hokage's Kirisawa Fuuko..." drawled Mori Koran, a smile forming on his face as his eyes roamed up and down the girl's figure. The brunette fought the urge to wrap her arms around herself. "...Nice attire, I must say..." he said, nodding at her shorts and sleeveless top.

"Don't expect me to take that as a compliment," said Fuuko, sharply. _This guy just gives me the creeps!_

Mori nodded politely. "Of course," he commented, before bringing his eyes back up to the girl's face. "So...you and your teammates have somehow managed to worm yourself up, into the finals..."

Fuuko frowned. "We fought hard and _earned_ the rightful spot we deserved," she said, keeping her temper in check. _Remember Fuuko-chan_, she said to herself, _this is the man who beats Kurei up and gets away with it..._

"So you say..." said Mori. "I expected to get that girl of healing within my grasp much sooner..." Fuuko's green eyes narrowed at the mention of her friend.

"We're not going to let you lay your paws on Yanagi-chan," she snapped, clenching her hands into fists. "So you can keep dreaming and _stop_ sending your lackeys to kidnap her."

"Ah, yes...it's a pity that Magensha failed at that time..." Mori shrugged, as he fiddled with a button of his jacket. "But," he looked up with a smile on his face, "I don't see why you're so worried. All I'll do is...borrow your pretty little friend for a while..." he paused. "And I'll return her after I'm done with her, and you can all live happily ever after."

"Return her in one piece, or with a bomb implanted in her?" Fuuko couldn't quite stop herself from venomously asking the man that. "Like what you did to Kurenai?"

Mori looked surprised for a second, before shooting her smile. "Of _course_ not," he drawled, "now..._why_ would I want to do that...?"

Fuuko, unfortunately, had nothing to say for that. Well, she had quite a lot to say to the jerk, but didn't want to lose her temper.

"In any case," continued Mori, "...I _am_ still trying to obtain that girl, before the final round..." Fuuko glared at him. "...Although I realize I won't be able to do that _now_, I _do_ know a way through which I can _assure_ myself of obtaining her tomorrow..."

"...And how is that?" questioned Fuuko, although she had a feeling she already knew.

"By disposing of the Hokage warrior whom I was fortunate to run into at this time of night, while on the way to a rendezvous with my son..."

"Keep dreaming," hissed Fuuko, although she started preparing herself to fight. This caught the man's attention.

"What's this...?" he wondered. "Where's your _Fuujin_?" Fuuko refused to answer him. Yes, she realized the stupidity in leaving the madougu in her room, but how was she supposed to know she'd run into _him_?

"It's none of your business." She didn't like the grin the man sent her way.

"In that case..." he turned to his bodyguards. "Gentlemen, please, feel free to take her out." As the men nodded and started advancing on her, Fuuko sent Mori one last glare.

"Like I said," she said, "_Keep dreaming,_ idiots." And from then, she started fighting.

* * *

**At the same time:**

"Kurei-sama, perhaps we should...hurry up?" suggested Raiha, his eyes fixed on the masked man walking ahead of him.

"... ... ..."

"...Mori-sama might not..._like_ being forced to wait," tried the ninja, although he really wanted to say '_let's just get there before Mori-sama does something _else_ to emotionally scar you.'_

The Uruha leader just continued walking at his normal pace. He personally couldn't care less about his 'father' being forced to wait. But he too understood what the ninja was trying to say.

"Ne, Kurei-han, I'm booooored..." Raiha sweat-dropped -something he always found himself doing when he was with the Jyushinshuu warrior. Kurei didn't answer. "Neeeeee, Kureiiiiiiiiiii-haaaaaaaaaaan-"

"-The finals are tomorrow; you won't be bored then," said Kurei, interrupting him before he could get any more annoying.

Joker nodded. "Hai, hai...demo..." he pouted. "Do I _really_ have to carry out the plan, Kurei-han?" The Uruha leader turned around and fixed him with a strong glare. "Maa maa, Kurei-han, it was just a _question_..." said the jokester, holding his hands before him in defence. "Mou, you're no fun..."

"He betrayed the Uruha...and must be punished," said Kurei, coolly. Raiha stared at his feet, a morose expression on his face. He had tried, many times, to talk the man out of it, but it hadn't worked. He was just a _kid_...he didn't deserve this, surely?

"Aa, but if I defeat him in battle tomorrow, and the Hokage lose and thus lose Yanagi-han...won't that be enough of a punishment?" questioned Joker.

"I suppose it would," said Kurei after a while. "But...he betrayed _me_..." _After all I did, and all the high hopes I had for him..._

Joker sighed. "Aww, Kurei-han's disappointed in his little brother, is he...?"

"He is _not_ a brother of mine," hissed Kurei.

"Ah, true; _Recca-han_ is your little brother," agreed Joker, nodding. Laughing nervously, Raiha strategically placed himself in between the Uruha leader and the jokester.

"Ahahahaha, he's just teasing you, Kurei-sama...that's all..." he said, as the Uruha leader turned around.

"Ehh? But it's _true_..." said Joker, grinning as Raiha sent him an exasperated glance. "Alright, alright, I'll shut up now..." Raiha could have sworn that Kurei let out a sigh of relief, and kept back his grin.

They continued walking, in silence. Until;

"What kind of an older brother were you back in the past, Kurei-han? Were you afraid of your _ototo_...or did you love him to _bits_ before everything happened?"

"Ahahaha, teasing, Kurei-sama...teasing..." explained Raiha, sweat-dropping all the same.

"Hmm...?" mused Joker, as he stared ahead of them. "Aren't those Mori-han's bodyguards?" Both Raiha and Kurei turned around as well.

"Hai," said Raiha, after a while. "But...what are they doing there? We're supposed to meet Mori-sama at-" his voice trailed off when he saw one of the bodyguards being sent flying backwards. _What?_ His eyes widened, however, when two of the other bodyguards moved, allowing him to see the all too familiar figure standing amongst them.

"...Fuuko-han..." Joker glanced sideways at the Uruha leader, but saw no reaction from him. Raiha, however, winced as they watched the girl double over after a kick to the gut.

"Chichiue..." hissed Kurei, as he spotted the man watching from a safe distance. "He's meddling again...and I _told_ him not to..." Quickening his pace, he headed towards the scene. Exchanging a quick glance with Joker, Raiha followed him, although Joker followed at a slower pace, keeping himself mostly in the shadows. The Hokage weren't supposed to know that he was one of the Uruha after all...

* * *

"Ooof -" Fuuko managed not to lose her balance, as she doubled over, clutching her stomach. That last kick had hurt. A moment later, however, she had straightened again, ignoring the pain, before delivering a nice kick of her own, sending the man crashing to the ground, clutching his jaw.

"I'm impressed," murmured one of the remaining bodyguards, as he stared at the seven bruised men who were in different places on the ground. "You've managed to do all of _this_ without a madougu..."

"I...don't need a madougu to kick your ass," gasped Fuuko, despite the throbbing in her head and her stomach. She raced towards the man who had spoken, firing off a set of kicks and punches, which he avoided, until he tripped over one of his fallen comrades. "Baka..." muttered Fuuko, about to knock him out when she heard an eerie 'click' from behind her.

Turning around slowly, she saw another bodyguard standing there. What caused her eyes to widen, however, was the gun he had in his hands. The gun that was aimed at her. Two other bodyguards stood on either side of him, guns in their hands as well.

"Oh dear..." drawled the voice of Mori Koran, as he moved towards her. "Looks like it's game over for you now, Fuuko..."

"After all this cheating, it _would_ seem that way..." muttered Fuuko, still breathing quite heavily. _Dammit...I'm in_ deep _trouble here..._

"As nice as it was meeting you here, Fuuko -and despite the fact that I would _love_ to get to know you better..." Mori grinned. "It's time for you to die." He turned to the three armed bodyguards, who nodded.

Fuuko stared at them, her face paling rapidly. _I'm going to die...I'm really going to die, and it's going to be because of a bunch of stupid bodyguards..._

_Kami...I'm going to die...?_

As she heard the guns being fired, she squeezed her eyes shut, and simply stood still. Without her Fuujin, there was no way she could stop those bullets from reaching her. _Recca,_ she thought, as she trembled, _g-gomen...I...I think I messed up b-big time..._

Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard the agonized yells from somewhere close to her. Disobeying her commands, her eyes snapped open -and she grimaced.

The three men who had been standing before her were engulfed in flame...and were...being burnt. Mori, who had been standing close to the three men, looked around wildly, a fearful expression forming on his face.

"Kurei! What do you think you're doing?!" he yelled, as he saw the masked man approach. "How dare you -how dare you attack me like that!!"

The Uruha leader stopped only when he was standing directly opposite his father.

"I didn't attack _you, _chichiue," he said, coldly. "I attacked your men."

"Why you-"

"-I told you not to interfere in my business, Chichiue," interrupted Kurei. "I told you that I would get you that girl of healing...on the condition that you didn't get involved in things like this..." His eyes were glinting. "And yet, you didn't listen to me...even after I warned you..."

"Watch your mouth!" snapped one of the bodyguards. "You're talking to Mori-sama, to your _fath_-" Fuuko blanched when more screams filled the air, as Kurei directed balls of that eerie, purplish-white flames in his direction.

Mori stared at the dying man, his eyes wide, before turning to his son as the rest of his bodyguards rallied around him.

"Perhaps you should teach your bodyguards their place, Chichiue..." said Kurei. "Or perhaps I should do it myself...?" He raised his left hand again.

"If you do that Kurei, you know what will happen," said Mori, hurriedly. "I carry that console with me all the time...and I will _not_ hesitate to use it now..." Just as he had expected, Kurei lowered his arm, his eyes blazing. "Good..." he said. "Very good; you know that you cannot betray me..." Mori glanced around at his bodyguards. "I was only trying to help you get rid of the Hokage-"

"-I don't _need_ your help."

"Very well..." Mori nodded at his bodyguards, still rather shaken by the Uruha leader's actions. "We will have our little meeting some other time...I am expecting an easy victory for Uruha Kurenai tomorrow..." With that, he turned on his heel and walked away, rather quickly, with his men following him.

Kurei stared after him for a moment or two, when a groan caught his attention. His eyes continued to glint as his gaze landed on the eight injured bodyguards.

Fuuko found herself sinking to her feet, her eyes glazed, as the men released screams of torture, whilst the flames slowly burnt at them. The stench of burnt flesh made her want to retch, despite everything that had happened.

When the men were reduced to...almost nothing, the Uruha leader turned around to face her. The glint in his eyes faded somewhat as he saw the whiteness of her face, and the...vacant look in her eyes. Raiha watched as he advanced on her, reaching down and pulling her to her feet.

Fuuko simply stared at him, the screams of the men still ringing in her ears. A previously apprehensive Raiha watched in...shock, as the Uruha leader reached a hand out, towards the girl's face. He slowly wiped away the trail of blood trickling from the side of her mouth, taking note of the bruises she had on her jaw.

"K...Kurei..." The glint was back in the man's eyes, as he swiftly slapped the brunette, almost sending her tumbling back on to the ground.

"Kurei-sama?" questioned Raiha, worried. Fuuko stared at him, a hand resting on her cheek.

"You _idiot_," hissed the Uruha leader, glaring at her. "Where's your madougu?" Fuuko stared at him. "Where's your madougu?" he repeated, growling when the girl didn't answer. "Where's the _Fuujin,_ Fuuko?"

"I-left it at the apartment..." said Fuuko, dully, tasting the blood in her mouth. Kurei's eyes narrowed.

"The reason you have a madougu is not to leave it behind, it's to take it with you at all times," he said, sharply. "How careless and stupid can you get? You know that the finals are tomorrow, so you should be better prepared!"

Fuuko stared at him, her eyes still vacant. "I-"

"You, of all people, know what that man is like," interrupted Kurei, who was almost snarling by now. "Who knows _what_ he would have done? It wasn't like you could defend yourself against guns when you're walking around _without_ your _Fuujin._"

The vacant look in the girl's eyes was starting to worry him. "Maybe what everyone has been saying is true, you _are_ weak, despite the tough attitude you put on. You're nothing but a weakling who-"

"-Well I'm sorry!" exclaimed Fuuko, interrupting him. "I'm sorry that I was just training with Koganei, without our madougu. I'm sorry that we don't like to depend too much on our madougu." She was glaring at the Uruha leader, her eyes losing their vacant expression. "And I'm sorry that your father's such a _jerk_! It wasn't like I _asked_ to be attacked -the idiot just suddenly ordered his men to attack me."

She stopped, coughing as she swallowed the blood that was leaking into her mouth. A disgusted expression found itself on her face as she saw the blood on her hands. "I just-" her eyes fell on the charred remains of the injured bodyguards, and she stopped again, fighting the urge to retch.

"They got what they deserved," said Kurei, following her gaze. He was surprised when the brunette looked up at him with a saddened expression on her face.

"They...were human too..." she mumbled. "And...and you..._burnt_ them into...nothing..."

"No," said Kurei, coolly. "Anyone who works for my father cannot be human..." Fuuko shook her head slowly. As she opened her mouth to speak, however, the Uruha leader calmly and quickly punched her hard in the stomach.

"K-Kure...i..." gasped Fuuko, before her eyes closed as she fell unconscious. Kurei caught her before she fell.

"Joker." There was no reply. "I know you're there."

"Hai, Kurei-han?" questioned the jokester, not playing around for a change.

"Take her back to the Hokage," said Kurei, as he held onto the girl. "Ask them to hea-" he stopped, shaking his head inwardly. "...Tell them she has internal injuries...and that she should probably-" he stopped again. _I don't need to tell them that...they'll take care of her well enough..._

"What should I tell them?" questioned Joker, as he moved towards Kurei.

"...That she was attacked by my father," said the Uruha leader. Joker nodded, solemnly.

_So you _do_ care for her in some way, Kurei-han..._

"Take her." Joker sighed as he stared at the unconscious girl. This was going to be the second time he carried her without her knowledge. Oh well.

He held his madougu out to Raiha. "I can't carry both her _and_ my madougu," he explained, before grinning. "Present for you, Raiha-han!" Picking the girl up in his arms, the jokester turned, heading in the direction of the apartments. "I wonder where Koganei-kun is...he should be somewhere around here..."

As Joker walked off, Raiha stared at the Uruha leader. No matter what anyone else thought, he knew that the Uruha leader chased off Mori and his bodyguards for the brunette Fuujin-wielder's safety...and not just because Mori Koran was 'interfering' again.

And, the way he had reacted, practically yelling at the girl for not carrying her madougu around with her...that was...well, that simply confirmed his sudden theory.

Kurei was _worried_ about the Fuujin-wielder...about Kirisawa _Fuuko._

_I've never seen Kurei-sama worried about anyone, except for Tsukino-sama, ever since Kurenai-sama was killed..._he thought.

"Raiha," called Kurei, snapping the ninja out of his thoughts. "Let's go."

"Hai, Kurei-sama," said Raiha, as he proceeded to follow his leader back to the mansion. _I wonder...is _this_ why Joker was asking me what would happen if Kurei-sama were to fall in love again?_

The more he thought about it, the more it made sense. Perhaps there _was_ some hidden feelings for the Fuujin-wielder...and, from what he had seen, Fuuko hadn't exactly seemed _afraid _of the Uruha leader, as she normally would have...

_So...it _is_ possible, then..._

Raiha smiled to himself. _Everything will work out fine, Kurei-sama, _he thought. "We'll make sure of it..."

"Make sure of what?" Raiha glanced up hurriedly, his face turning red as he realized what had happened.

"N-nothing," he said, smiling. "I...er, was just thinking, Kurei-sama!"

"... ... ..." Kurei simply continued walking, a frown on his face as he thought about the Fuujin-wielder. He hoped the girl of healing healed her, and that she would be forced to rest for a while.

_'Oh? Why?'_ questioned the annoying voice in his head.

_Because...it would be a shame for her to be only partially healthy during her match..._

_'Is that the _only_ reason?'_ wondered the voice, sounding amused.

_...I don't think so..._

_'Ah. You're finally seeing the light...'_

* * *

**A/N**

Well, that's it for now! Hope you guys enjoy this too...and tell me if things are moving too slowly or too fast...

The next chapter will feature the final-round of the Urabutousatsujin!

See ya!

siriusgirl1


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